A Tale of Two Saviors
by AdmiringRoseBlossom11
Summary: What if there wasn't one Savior of the spiral, but two? Rated K for that is what I believe the game to be rated. Chapter 13:Pulling out the Big Guns(Triton Avenue part 3): Genevieve, noticing something up with the Storm magic, goes to fix things on Triton Avenue, once and for all!
1. The Invitation

**Hello Everyone! If you read my profile you would see that I mostly write for Dreamworks, but I've been playing Wizard101 for a couple years now and recently my sister has mentioned us both being there at the same time, kudos to her for giving me the inspiration of this story. This will follow the game storyline, but basically squared. This Story might be a little tricky to update, because of my life, and I can't play two wizards at once. The other chapters might also be a little shorter than this, just a fair warning. Now sit back, and enjoy my story, A Tale of two Saviors!**

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In a realm far away from ours, there is a city. In this city there are many things, and many sorts of people. There are the people who grew up there and have happy memories and there are people who go there for other reasons. People set up business' and homes, and establish a peaceful life. These people range from ordinary people, to anthropomorphic animals that do just the same as they do. The most memorable things about this city are the wizards there, and the school that teaches them. The school is so well known in its classes that people come from all over the collection of worlds called the spiral to attend this school. In this school reside the trees from the ancient world, before it became the spiral, and the grandfather tree Bartleby. He is said to be truly wise, for he sees both past and future. The trees themselves each represent a branch of magic that can be learned: Storm, Ice, Fire, Myth, and Life. The Balance tree resides in the home of balance, Krokotopia and no one knows what has happened to the Death tree, for it has mysteriously disappeared along with the school of death magic. When wizards make it to Ravenwood, they usually specialize under one branch of magic and call that their school. The head of this school, called Ravenwood, is the best wizard of all time. Not Dumbledore, Gandalf or Merlin; this wizard is called Merle Ambrose. He has a residence of his own, just outside the school grounds, where he resides with his pet owl, Gamma.

A powerful man has much responsibility. He has many people to look out for; his school and his city, Wizard city. He may have been able to protect it in his days of youth, but he can't do it by himself. A darkness is rising on the spiral, it needs someone to protect it, if not, save it. Who will save Wizard city and the spiral? Who is the savior? Who will save the day?

The magic from this person must be very unique. What if I told you there wasn't one savior, but two.

* * *

On a particular day near the end of summer, very early in the morning, the headmaster, Merle Ambrose, could be found in the tower of his residence; which was where Gamma, his pet owl, presided.

"What is the meaning of being up so early, Merle," yawned Gamma who, unlike most owls, slept during the night.

"The reason I'm up Gamma, is because I may have found the spell to help us with our upcoming problem." Everyone was suspecting something dark and sinister rising ever since Malistere Drake, the old death school teacher, went and ripped the death school out of Ravenwood, and stole the eye of the past from the grandfather tree Bartleby. Ambrose knew that he wasn't the man he used to be; he couldn't defend everyone. Someone else would have to do it; the question is who?

"What spell have you found, Merle?" questioned Gamma.

"A spell that will point us to whom Wizard city can count on to save it in times of need; a spell to point us to a wizard with amazing potential, the one who might be able to defend wizard city from Malistere."

"If that's so, I'd like to see this amazing wizard in action," said Gamma interested.

"Now Gamma, you should know that this wizard will take some time to achieve greatness, they will have to be taught, for no one starts off great."

"I know Merle," said Gamma. "We have you as an example; with you starting off as a mere apprentice, then eventually creating Ravenwood."

"I just thought I would give you a fair warning not to put too much pressure on the new student, if they accept a place in Ravenwood. They might not want all the responsibility."

"If the spell does what you say, then we can count on them to come through in the end," assured Gamma. "Now try out the spell, and see if it works."

Merle approached the Crystal ball with staff in hand and muttered the words of power.

"Find the one whom we seek," Ambrose chanted. An image started to appear in the Crystal ball.

"Ah ha, Look Gamma, the spell seems to be working, finally we have found one."

"Who," Gamma hooted.

"A wizard with amazing potential, perhaps enough to save Wizard city."

"Oh really, where?"

"In a very distant realm…" Merle gasped, "Goodness, on a world that doesn't even believe in magic."

"This might be harder than we thought," said Gamma. How were they going to convince someone who didn't believe in magic, to fight for a magical cause?

"Gamma, would you mind looking in the crystal ball and telling me what you see? My vision isn't the best at the moment."

"Sure thing, headmaster," said Gamma. Gamma flew closer to the crystal ball to have a better look at the image inside.

"Hmm, it's dark, probably early in the morning as well. Through what I can make out, I can see two beds."

"Anything else, Gamma," questioned the Headmaster.

"It's hard to tell what they look like in the dark Ambrose."

"Hmm," pondered Ambrose. "If the spell showed us the two beds, instead of focusing on one, it must mean that they are both targets of the spell. That is good news, for now we have two people to count on instead of one. Of course, with all good things, comes difficulty."

"Really," said Gamma. There was silence for a bit. "So I guess we'll be sending two invitations for Ravenwood?"

* * *

(1st person for Emily)

It was almost the end of summer, but I didn't want it to end. I feel like I didn't do enough, just lazy days lying in the house. I didn't even get to spend a lot of time with my twin sister, Genevieve; we just call her Gen though. I'm Emily by the way; right now I'm telling you about the day that changed me and my sister's life.

I expected the next school year to be at the one I've been going to for the last few years of my life. Like every end of summer I hoped that the New Year would be different, and I didn't want it to come, because who likes going to school. Don't get me wrong, I love learning and the teachers, but the classmates I could live without. I wanted the kids to be nicer, and thought that might happen because I was going to a different level. I even knew that I would be getting a nice teacher; of course the classes might be harder, like they always are. Gen would not be in my class, but I figured I would be able to make it without her with me.

I was down in the basement when it all started. I saw a flash of light come from upstairs. That peaked my curiosity. I saw another flash of light, and I figured I should go check it out. I made it upstairs, and I heard Mom heading to the top floor and wondered what she wanted to do upstairs. I also wondered where the flash came from, because there was nothing peculiar except two new blank sheets of paper on the table. I thought Mom probably knew where the flash came from.

I followed Mom upstairs to me and Gen's room. When I got there, I saw Mom wasn't happy with us.

"Why aren't you packed," she asked irritated.

"Packed for what exactly," asked Gen sarcastically. She was the sarcastic one.

"Your boarding school," she said like it was obvious.

"What," we both asked jaws agape.

"Since when are we going to a boarding school," asked Gen.

"Since the middle of the summer," said Mom with the same tone as before.

"We don't remember that," I said.

"So, you don't remember getting those acceptance letters to Ravenwood?"

"Ravenwood, sounds like a school for magic," said Gen.

"Mom, we don't remember because it didn't happen, you would have told us."

"I did tell you! I can't believe you forgot!"

"No Mom, I think you forgot," said Gen, trying not to be sarcastic. "We were going to our public School, we picked the teachers, remember?"

"You might have been going to your public school, but then we got those acceptance letters to Ravenwood, with scholarships! I know it will be hard being away from us, but we just can't give up an education like this."

"Uh, yes we can, because we have never heard of this school before."

"Gen," I said, trying to stop the sarcasm.

"I don't want to hear it girls, you girls are going and that's final! Now hurry up and start packing, you only have a few days left." With that, she left the room.

"What the heck just happened," said Gen.

"I don't know," I said. "It is weird, I mean, it's like she's the only one that remembers it; and she seemed so certain of that memory."

"What is this _Ravenwood_ place? Has Mom gone completely bonkers?"

"I'm not sure Gen; let me think." I thought about everything that had just happened, from the lights to Ravenwood.

"Gen, didn't you say something about Ravenwood sounding like a school for magic?"

"You think Mom's under some memory spell," asked Gen, sounding like she thought I was crazy.

"I don't know, it sounds farfetched, but just before now I was in the basement doing my own thing and I saw two bright lights from up the stairs."

"If it was a spell, how could of it been cast on Mom?"

"I don't know." I was saying that a lot. "Mom said we got acceptance letters, maybe from there we can figure out what's going on."

"Or it will clear up Mom's memory when she realizes there are none."

I went downstairs to ask Mom for the acceptance letters, because Gen was afraid she was the one who had made Mom mad and was afraid to see her again. I found Mom sitting in the living room, probably frustrated with us.

"Mom," I asked sheepishly.

"What is it Emily," she asked exhausted.

"I was wondering if I could see the acceptance letters, so Gen and I would know what to pack. It would refresh our memory." 'Or yours,' I thought.

"Fine," she huffed. She left the room, and I waited. She came back with paper. "Here you go."

It was the paper from the table. "It's blank," I said simply.

"What are you talking about, Emily. Of course it's not blank."

"But it is, I'm not joking!" Mom took one of the blank pages from me and looked at it. Maybe now she will see our point.

"You need to get your eyes checked. Too bad I don't have enough time to book you an appointment. I guess I could make an arrangement with the school, but first I'll make you an appointment."

"I don't need my eyes checked Mom, its blank!"

"Take it upstairs, and have your sister read it. If she can't, come and get me."

So I went upstairs, no more questions asked. I had come to the conclusion Mom was looney. Now I was going to get an unneeded eye doctor appointment, because I knew I could see fine.

I brought the paper to Gen.

"What's this for," she asked. Obviously, she couldn't see it either.

"These are apparently the acceptance letters Mom was talking about."

"Has she completely lost it?"

"I'm asking myself the same question."

"What are we going to do? Mom us to pack for some fake school, and I don't even know what to pack!"

"Easy, let's just pretend to pack; I'll bring our suitcases up." Just before I could though, the paper started to glow with the same light from before. Gen and I were stunned to silence.

After the glowing was done, the papers weren't blank anymore.

"Ravenwood," I breathed.

"School of magical arts," breathed Gen.

"Acceptance letters," we both breathed. There was a beat, and then…

"I knew magic existed," exclaimed Gen.

"And we have just been accepted to a school for one," I exclaimed.

"This is amazing," we both exclaimed at the same time.

"This explains everything," I said.

"Yeah, Mom must have had a memory spell cast on her," exclaimed Gen

"And it must have come from the letters, which means…," I continued.

"They really want us," we both said at the same time.

"Okay, let's see what it says," I panted. We took a look at the letters.

_I'm sorry for what happened to your mother; a memory spell had to be cast in order for her to let you come at all. Of course attending this school is entirely your choice. If you do decide to attend, your family will think you are at a normal boarding school called Ravenwood, instead of a magical one because your world is skeptical on magic. If you decline the invitation, the memory spell will dissipate and you will return to attending your normal school. Also, you should note that if you accept the invitation, you will instantly be transported to Wizard city of the Spiral, a realm distant from yours, so don't be alarmed if you accept._

_Sincerely, Professor Merle Ambrose of Ravenwood,_

_Do you accept the invitation?_

__Yes_

__No_

There was a bit of silence after we finished reading.

"What are we going to do," asked Gen.

"Well, even if we do go, we can't accept right now or we'll be transported."

"Em, I think we should go. The memory spell is already in place, and when will we ever get a chance like this again?"

"I want to go to, but like I said, we can't go now, we haven't thought things through." I was the reasonable one sometimes.

"What's there to think about? It's a school of magic!"

"We know nothing about the magic taught there, or the school, or the realm."

"They could tell us."

"Everything?"

"Probably," shrugged Gen.

"What about Packing? What should we pack?"

"It's a magic place, somewhere far away; I don't think our clothes will match. Besides, we could always get some new ones."

"How do you our money will work?"

"It probably won't, but maybe they'll be generous enough to give us a starting fee."

"Would they?"

"They really want us."

"Okay, we should at least say goodbye first, maybe wait until school starts back up."

"Who knows what will happen then; I say we just say goodbye, then we leave."

"We don't want to disturb this school in the middle of the night, we should wait until tomorrow."

"Okay agreed."

That night, we spent time with our family watching a movie we all enjoyed. They all knew we were going to a boarding school. Before we went to bed that night, we had warm embraces with all of them.

[The next day]

"What will happen once we do this," I asked

"What do you mean," asked Gen.

"I mean, will our family freak out and wonder where we went? School doesn't start for a bit."

"The Note said they would think we were at a boarding school. I say trust the note."

"So they are immediately going to think that we skedaddled of to a boarding school out of the blue, not even packed the day before, before the school season even starts?"

"I say the magic will fix their memories so they won't freak out and we'll be welcome back home when this is all over."

"I hope you're right, Gen," I said nervously as I held the pen over the paper. "Here goes nothing."

After being a little hesitant at first, I put a checkmark next to Yes. Suddenly a portal opened up next to us. Surprisingly, we were both a little hesitant to enter. We looked at each other; this was going to be hard for both of us. I reached for her hand, and she took it. We then ran into the portal together.

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**How was that for a First chapter, I'm calling it, the Invitation. Any problems with it, I will take them into consideration, or I will explain the dilemma to you. Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter in reviews, or don't.**


	2. Book of secrets

**I didn't get to this sooner because it's a game it's a game, different story set. If you want me to work on it more, just say so. First read this chapter before you make your choice.**

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[1st person Genevieve]

Stepping into the portal was like stepping into a place of no physics whatsoever. You know the places that seem to have their own rules outside natural order, where it's just so weird, mysterious, or magical, maybe even wondrous; that's what the inside of the portal was like. I couldn't even see what colour I was; it was all meshed together and blurry. Right then, my skin looked purple with hints of pink and yellow.

I looked at Emily. I could make out her outline, but the rest was a blur, meshed together colour. I felt my hair loosen as it flowed free. I felt the back of my head, my ponytail was out and I had lost my pink hair elastic, at least I think it was pink. Colour wasn't the same.

We went down a long tunnel, until we made it out of the tunnel colour portal. We made it to a light at the end, and no, we didn't die. We stumbled out of the other end, and onto the floor of this tower. We took a look around; there was this crystal that made a spiral of tiny little images above us, there was a giant book on a stand and an owl on a perch. We must have been in the right place.

Emily looked at me and made a gasp.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"It's your hair," she said pointing in shock. I took a lock of hair to look at and gasped myself. It was pink!

"What happened to my hair? It's pink!"

"You obviously must have messed with the colour in the portal, it got something mixed up," said a voice. We looked for it, seeing as there was no one in the room it must have been the owl. Emily had a Eureka moment.

"Your hair elastic fell out in the portal, and it was pink. Running through your hair the colors must have gotten confused."

"So now my hair elastic is brownish-blondish-reddish, wherever it is?"

"Maybe so," she countered.

"I don't want my hair to be pink; I liked my hair."

"Look at the bright side, at least people will be able to tell us apart now."

"But why pink hair?"

"Ah hem," said the owl. We turned to look at him. "Am I interrupting or can you see the headmaster now?"

"We wouldn't mind seeing the headmaster. This isn't serious, it can wait," said Emily, who obviously wanted to see the headmaster. I, of course, was still pondering my pink hair. The owl flew away and after a few moments came back with whom I assumed was the headmaster.

"Why hello there, I hope your trip here was alright," he said kindly.

"My hair turned pink," I stated.

"Ah yes, must have been a mishap in the portal."

"Is there any way I can change it back."

"Well, yes, you see," he said slowly, "you would have to object you switched colors with-"

"My hairband," I stated.

"Don't interrupt," said the owl.

"Yes, well, then you would have to go through the portal again and do what happened before, and the color should switch back," finished the headmaster.

"Can I go get my hairband," I said a little urgently.

"Well, I can't let you go now if you are to be enrolled."

"Can we go during the next holiday to see our family," asked Emily.

"Certainly, the next holiday is Thanksgiving."

"That's in two months," I said.

"Actually, it's three," said the owl.

"So you celebrate it in November," said Emily.

"Certainly."

"Okay, I'll wait three months. Who knows what will happen to it by then, though."

"Well," said the headmaster, "Now that that's out of the way. I'm Professor Ambrose, headmaster of Ravenwood, school of magic."

"Pleased to meet you," said Emily.

"I'm pleased to meet you as well," I said. The headmaster looked at us quizzedly. Did we do something weird to them? The headmaster then turned to his owl and said, "I wonder manner of wizards they are." He pondered the thought. There was more than one type of wizard?

"Perhaps we should consult the book of secrets." He turned to regard us intently.

"If you two answer these questions, the book will determine what type of wizards you are."

"You mean like a test," I asked.

"Yes, it's like a test," he admitted.

"Do we have to answer it individually," asked Emily.

"Yes, the book can only determine one wizard at a time." Emily and I looked at each other.

"Who should go first," she asked. I quickly determined the answer.

"You should go first Em. You are the oldest. Besides I will probably get the same as you." It's usually like that since we're twins. Emily stepped up to the book and took a deep breath. She then began her test. I wondered what type of questions she was answering, but I figured the test was supposed to be private. After a few minutes, Emily turned to the last page of her test and the page briefly erupted into flames.

"You are a fire wizard," said Professor Ambrose to Emily.

"Is that bad," asked Emily.

"Oh no," said Ambrose. "In fact, most fire wizards or pyromancers are known to be smart, passionate, competitive and attractive."

"Well, I'm sure of the first two," said Emily.

"You should know that some famous Pyromancers include Morgan le Fay and William Shakespeare."

"Whoa," I said. "Morgan le Fay as in from the legend and William Shakespeare was a wizard!"

"Yes, both of those are true." Can my mind be blown anymore?

"What can fire wizards do?" asked Emily.

"Well, in their magic it's mostly based on sparks of flame, and in duels they have attacks that linger, damaging their foes again and again."

"That's kind of cool," said Emily.

"Well Em, I guess we're Pyromancers," I said, putting my arm on her shoulder.

"Hold on," said the owl. "You still haven't taken the test."

"I figure I'm going to get the same thing as her, so why bother?"

"You should 'bother' because you could get something different. Students don't do so well in classes they pick themselves, and the book of secrets never lies, it will tell you where you truly belong."

"Go on Gen," said Emily. "I took the test, you should too."

"Alright," I said, confronting the book of secrets. "But I'm telling you now; it's going to come out fire." I took a deep breath and began the test.

* * *

The first question was would I rather win a trophy for my team or a medal for myself. I guess it wouldn't be great if my team had to share a trophy, it would be better if people won individual medals. I touched the words of the answer, thinking that was my final answer and the page turned to the next question.

The second question asked me which I thought was the most powerful: Earthquake, Plague, Volcano, Hurricane, Tornado, Blizzard, or Sandstorm. I think plague's you could find a cure; blizzard's and sandstorm's you can shelter from, that only left Earthquake, Volcano, Hurricane, and Tornado. That was tough. You can't tell when earthquake's come, but some are not that big. Volcanoes have lava that can melt anything, but I think you can outrun it. That only leaves Hurricanes and Tornados. I do know one thing, Hurricanes can take out more houses than a tornado at once, and they're bigger. Hurricane it is. I accepted it as my final answer, and the page turned.

The third question was my favorite subject in school: Health, I like all my classes, sports, Reading and Writing, and Science or math. Science or math was too hard, I'm not physically active, health grosses me out, and I'm pretty sure I don't like all my classes. I definitely know I love reading and writing. I submitted it as my final answer and the page turned.

Next was my favorite time of day, morning interrupted sleep, and night was too scary, so obviously afternoon. Submit, page turn. The fifth question was what is most important in a story: hero or heroine, or all the characters. I do love a good hero or heroine, but all the characters have to be important somehow, otherwise, why would they be explored. I submitted my final answer, and the page turned.

The sixth question was what my favorite animal was: Dragon, crab, serpent, polar bear, shark, bat, or unicorn. I knew I wasn't a complete fan of serpents, sharks, crabs, or bats, so they're out. That left dragons, polar bears and unicorns. I wasn't a complete dragon nut like my sister, so not dragons. Polar bears could be a little frightening, I mean they're bears. Unicorns it is. I submitted my answer and the page turned.

The last question was my favorite gemstone out of Peridot, Jade, Citrine, Ruby and Amethyst. I didn't even know what Peridot was, and it was yellow so no. Jade seemed too green, Citrine seemed too plain, that only left Ruby and Amethyst. I liked rubies, but no one ever gave me any. Anything red went straight to Emily, so I guess it was her colour. I did like purple, it was close to pink. So that decided my final question, where I settled on Amethyst, which caused the page to turn and give me my result.

When the page turned, an electrical shock traveled the page briefly until words appeared.

"You are a storm wizard," said Ambrose.

"What," I said. I was different than Emily? I guess that was a little cool.

"You see," said the Owl. "You belong in a different school than your sister." I guess that wizards of different types belonged in different classes. I was not okay with that. Emily had trouble on her own, and now I realize she's a fire wizard and can easily be set off.

"No, that can't be!"

"Well storm wizards are usually impulsive, educated, creative, and independent."

"That's you, sis," said Emily. I still looked shocked (pun not intended).

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," said the owl. "Famous storm wizards or Diviners include Benjamin franklin, Lady Circe and Galileo."

"Inventors, great," I said sarcastically. I wasn't syked to be apart of inventors, because I didn't belong there.

"Storm magic is actually quite powerful, more powerful than fire magic."

"How so?"

"It's storms that start the fires and its storms that put them out. Combined, storm magic and fire magic make life magic, for they are what create and sustain life, storm sparking it while fire keeps it going. Storm magic in duels gives very strong attacks, but in turn they have very weak durability and defense. Weaker than fire, your sister would have to defend you if you ever went into a duel."

That was mind blowing, again. I guess storm wasn't so bad, but I didn't want to be away from my sister.

"I just want to be there for Emily," Emily gave me a glare that said that she could take care of herself, at the same time I knew she was touched.

"You can," said Ambrose. "You will share the same dorm room and be able to spend free time together after class. Speaking of which, we better give you some new clothes. Your other ones will stand out a little."

So we were given our new uniforms. Emily, like who she is, picked an all red one; I, on the other hand, picked one with a purple base and yellow trim. We just liked the colors.

"I just remembered," said Ambrose after we were done. "I never really caught your name," he said to me.

"Oh," I said. "It's Genevieve."

"That's a lovely name," said the owl.

"Thank you." I said.

"Now we should focus on getting the two of you enrolled," said Ambrose.

* * *

**So how was that, I quarreled on the name, but book of secrets seemed to stick. Tell me what you think of this chapter in reviews.**


	3. Tutorial

**This chapter took a couple days to write, and it's my longest one so far. I want to write another one of these this month, but I'm afraid I'm going to be busy. I will try though, enjoy.**

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[3rd person limited, Emily]

"I have a small question before we begin," said Emily.

"And what would that be?" asked Ambrose.

"What will we exactly learn here? I mean, I know I'm a fire wizard and she's a storm wizard but all I see for that is spells for dueling. Will we learn any spells besides that?" The headmaster and the owl looked at each other for a moment, and then turned back to the girls.

"My owl friend will explain everything," said the headmaster.

"I just realized," said the owl. "I never introduced myself. My name is Gamma the owl."

"Nice to meet you Gamma," said Genevieve.

"Nice to meet you too, now can you answer my question," said Emily, a little impatient. The owl took a deep breath and began.

"You should know that right now it's best that students know how to defend themselves."

"Undesirable people?" asked Genevieve.

"In a way, yes; also, you find here that wizards love to duel. It is what wizards do to test their skills along with summoning fantastic creatures."

"Fantastic creatures?" questioned Emily.

"Yes, dueling mostly requires summoning creatures associated with your school."

"So," reasoned Genevieve, "dueling requires summoning the right creatures to fight the battles?"

"Yes, along with some other spells that doesn't require summoning."

"Do the creatures get hurt in the battles?" questioned Emily.

"No, they're only there for a short amount of time, only inflicting damage upon the opponent."

"Not that much, right? I mean, I don't want to kill people in these duels."

"No, don't you worry. The damage is only short lived. You'd be surprised of what wizards can withstand. In the end, the worst they are is knocked out." The girls looked shocked. "Then they are easily healed by a healing spell or potion." They let out sighs of relief.

"We will learn other magic?" questioned Emily again. She really wanted that question answered. She wanted to know if she was just dueling or if she would be able to make her life easier with magic.

"You'll also be able to learn other magic, magic that is basic and known by all wizards, and magic in your school that are not based on dueling."

"Thank you," said Emily. "That's what I wanted to know."

"So, how do we know when we're really good at magic?" asked Genevieve. She probably wanted to be a master of magic.

"Well, to become a master Wizard, you must know every spell."

"I could've guessed that," Emily muttered, chuckling to herself.

"Well, as I said," said Gamma, irritated. He probably heard her. "Wizards love to duel, and knowing more spells will help you become a better duelist."

"Why is dueling so important?" questioned Genevieve. Emily knew her and her sister were not ones to fight with others, besides each other. Her sister was probably concerned about this. "We don't have to duel, right?"

"No, you don't have to duel other wizards," said Ambrose, who Emily had forgot was there. "But you do need to defend yourself." Just then, something happened in the spiral above them. There was a ripple on the image of the tree. The headmaster examined this ripple closely.

"It seems to be coming from Golem tower."

"What's happening at Golem tower?" questioned Emily. She wondered if something was wrong. Emily had to admit, the prospect of her and her sister getting the chance to learn magic was exhilarating, of course Emily had been small details that may be peeping out from a bigger picture.

Genevieve had pointed out earlier that it had seemed like they were really wanted at that school. It could have been passed off as them having really strong magical abilities. When they got there however, Gamma had mentioned there were some undesirable people about, and the magic they are learning at the moment was to help the students defend themselves. From all of this, Emily could pick up that these magical people were causing problems and that was never good. The last point Emily pondered over was the fact they were really wanted at the time. Why would they want to bring in two new students so badly in this time of crisis? Emily had a weird feeling where she didn't know how to feel, or if the feeling was correct.

"I don't know," replied Ambrose to her earlier question. "I suggest we all take a look." With that he banged his staff on the ground. A mist circled the group, and as it enveloped them in a flash of light, the girls got their first look of magic performed by a wizard. When the light dimmed, they found themselves not in the strange room with the spiral, but in an open yard in front of a tall tower.

"Golem tower," said Genevieve amazed.

"Hmm," pondered Ambrose. "Everything seems alright."

"Is it though?" questioned Emily. Just then, the ground shook with thunder as rain clouds filled the sky and it started to rain. They heard a crash upstairs, and saw a dark figure in the window.

"Whooo?" questioned Gamma.

"Am I causing this rain?" questioned Genevieve.

"I don't think so, Gen," said Emily. Her weird feeling had not left. In fact, it had just gotten stronger.

"How odd," said Ambrose. He started to head inside the tower. "Come along, young wizards, let's investigate the matter. Meet me in the tower."

"I don't know," said Genevieve, a little uneasy.

"Yooou'd best follow the headmaster," said Gamma. "You're safe with him!"

"I think I'd feel safer out here, actually."

"Come on, Gen, it's not like we know our way around anyway. Besides, if something bad is in there, it could just come out here. Gamma has a point," Emily reasoned.

"The headmaster can keep them at bay, he is pretty powerful."

"He is powerful," agreed Emily. "But he's also old. We shouldn't leave them in there all alone."

"But we don't know any magic," Genevieve countered. "We wouldn't be able to help."

"That may be, but I still feel like we should go in there; if you want to stay out here, fine." Emily went to go to the tower. She felt braver then when she was in her own world, which Genevieve seemed to notice.

"Em, wait," said Genevieve. "I'll come with you."

"To the tower!" cried Gamma. With that, the two girls followed the headmaster into the tower.

* * *

"Who's there," Emily heard Ambrose call out as she and her sister entered the room. As they did, they noticed there was another man in the room. This man wore black robes, had dreadlocks for hair, and held a staff with a dragon curled on top. What Emily noticed the most about the man was his cold, blank stare.

"Malistere!" Ambrose cried with contempt.

From the sound of his name, Emily could tell he was evil. She was stuck in place, frozen from the situation around her. Her feeling had been correct; something evil was afoot, and something told her that she and her sister were there to help. She didn't know how to feel about that. She didn't know if she would be good enough to stop this. She didn't know if her sister would be up for it. Of course, remembering her favorite stories, she figured it might be possible to help. Of course it was dangerous, and her life would be put on the line multiple times, but this actually sounded exiting, if not scary.

"Ambrose," Malistere sneered. After hearing his voice, Genevieve tried to pull Emily out of the room. Emily stayed where she was. She knew there was no point in running now that Malistere had actually seen them.

"You are no longer welcome here," cried Ambrose. "Why have you returned?"

"I'm here to resolve our unfinished business." So Malistere had some beef with the headmaster? Emily figured with the headmaster being so powerful, an evil man like Malistere hating him didn't seem so unlikely. "Are these your latest students?" Why was Malistere regarding them?

"My henchmen will see to your little friend." That couldn't have been good. Genevieve grabbed onto Emily for comfort and maybe protection. Emily held onto her as well. It was mostly so Genevieve wouldn't be so scared, but it was also for herself a little bit.

"Hurry along, girls," cried Ambrose. Emily almost thought he was telling them to run, but then he surprised her. "Take this deck of spell cards and deal with those creatures while I deal with Malistere himself!" He tossed them a deck of cards, which Emily caught.

"Don't be so sure of yourself old man," Malistere mocked.

"We can't do magic," Genevieve protested. Suddenly, two dragon men had appeared out of nowhere. Emily was astounded. She had been a huge dragon fan back where she came from, and here were two evil ones in front of her. '_Not all dragons are good_,' she reminded herself internally. '_Some are; some aren't_.'

"Run up and confront them," said Ambrose. "Be brave, I will guide you."

The girls looked at each other. In Genevieve's eyes, Emily saw that Genevieve had doubts and was afraid. They looked back at the Dragon men, and Emily saw in their eyes that they were laughing internally. They looked back at each other, and Emily once again saw the fear. Emily didn't know how skilled the dragon men were, but she couldn't stand by and do nothing. She could probably do it as long as she didn't doubt herself. She couldn't let anything bad happen here. She had to defend her sister, like Gamma had said, while sister was stronger in power, she was weaker in defense.

Emily ran up to the dragon men. "Let's do this," she said confidently. After which, Emily was not in control of her own movement. She had walked to another part in the room, while the dragon men walked to the opposite side. '_Wizard duel_,' was all she thought. A circle formed around them, and symbols appeared in front of their feet. A sun was in front of Emily, while a dagger and key were in front of the dragon men. It felt as if the universe was swirling beneath them, and arcane symbols lined the circle. '_This circle must form whenever a wizard duel happens_,' thought Emily. The rings around where they were standing glowed and then faded until the glowing rings were around Emily and the dragon men.

It was time for the duel to begin. Emily drew two cards from the deck she was given. Behind her, Ambrose was guiding. "You have drawn those spell cards from your deck. Quickly! Choose a spell, and use it to attack one of Malistere's henchmen."

"So do I just throw it on the ground and it will summon one of these things?"

"No, just pick one and you will know what to do when the time comes." Emily picked the card that resembled her school. "What do I do with this?"

Ambrose couldn't answer, because Malistere's henchmen were attacking. Emily decided to watch them to figure out what to do. The first dragon man had drawn a blue card from his deck. He threw it in front of him, where it floated in the air, and then he moved his arms to forming a giant blue magic symbol in front of him that resembled a snowflake. The symbol interacted with the card so fast, but Emily saw that it made the middle of the circle an icy terrain where a beetle of ice had appeared. Without a second thought, the beetle dove in the snow, emerging where Emily was to ram her upwards.

Emily now understood how it worked, but after that ice beetle, she felt really cold. She couldn't shake the feeling, and she kept shivering. Emily didn't like this. She usually liked the cold over the heat for she hated to sweat; now Emily was a fire wizard so heat was her forte. Why was she so cold?

"Why am I so cold?" Emily shivered.

"Since you're a fire wizard, Ice spells are your weakness unless you have protection," explained Ambrose. Emily thought that everything was starting to get confusing. Why would she need protection when back at home she was indifferent to the temperatures, feeling different from everyone else? That's how she was so weird. She was hot when others weren't, cold when others weren't and fine when others weren't. She didn't know how to make sense of it anymore.

The second dragon man pulled out a beige card, and moved his arms to create a giant gold magic symbol in front of him that resembled scales. The interaction with the card opened a portal where out jumped a giant scorpion that rushed forward and pinched Emily with its pinchers.

"At least it didn't sting me," said Emily still shivering. "Now it's my turn."

Emily threw forward the card she picked, and then she moved involuntarily again, moving her arms to form a giant orange magic symbol in front of her that resembled a flame, all while saying involuntarily, "Felinis igni." Then when she finished creating the symbol, she cried, "Fire cat!"

A fire cat appeared before her, and it had jumped on the first dragon man, which she had aimed her spell at. That was the one that made her feel cold. That's where Emily noticed the rings on the ground were different then when they began the duel. There was a small chunk missing out of Emily's ring.

"Professor Ambrose, what does this mean?" asked Emily, still shivering. The headmaster looked shocked.

"Oh my, you're hurt! You need to pay attention to your current health."

"How do I do that?" Emily knew it was a dumb question; she could just look at the ring around her feet. Of course, it turned out that there was another way. The headmaster pulled a crystal ball out of his cloak filled with red liquid and handed it to Emily. When Emily took it and held it in her hand, some of the red fluid had disappeared.

"This red crystal ball measures your health," Ambrose explained. "When you run out of health and the crystal ball is empty, that is when you will be defeated."

"So, this tells me how many more hits I can take. I take it the ring tells me the same thing?"

"Yes, but the crystal ball will help you outside of duels. You might also want to take this." The headmaster pulled out another crystal ball, but this one had blue fluid and was smaller. When Emily held it in her hand, it lost a little bit of blue fluid.

"What does this measure?" Emily asked.

"It measures your mana, which is your magical energy. Every time you cast a spell, you use up a bit of your mana. If you run out of mana, you won't be able to cast anymore spells. When you run out of mana, you'll be at the mercy…" Genevieve and Emily were giving him incredulous looks. "Why so distracted?" he asked.

"We're under attack," said Genevieve.

"We're under attack? Oh my! Call me a fool… I had all but forgotten!" Emily returned her attention to the dragon men. "Where were we, then? Right! Pick a card to attack his henchmen again!"

"No need!" said Genevieve stepping forward. "I didn't realize how dire this was; you need my help! Quick, give me the card you picked!" Emily shakily handed over the myth card she had picked. "I'll attack the henchmen this time, you rest."

"Okay," Emily shivered. Genevieve entered the circle beside her, with the symbol of the eye. A ring glowed around her feet, and she was accepted into the duel. The dragon men turned their attention on her.

The first dragon had picked a beige card and made a symbol of scales. They intertwined and brought forward another scorpion. This scorpion had sprayed it's venom onto Genevieve, and her ring was almost the same as Emily's. Emily panicked hoping her sister would be okay.

The second dragon man threw forward a black card, and moved his arms to form a giant black magic symbol in front of him that resembled a skull. That did not seem good. It intertwined with the card, and water covered the entire circle, having a small island break the surface. On this island was a skeleton that resembled a pirate. This skeleton raised its head, looked at Genevieve, got up, and swung it's sword at her which caused Genevieve to be knocked back with extreme force of wind. When everything settled, Emily saw that now her sister's ring was smaller than hers.

It was now Genevieve's turn to attack since Emily wasn't going to. Genevieve threw forward the yellow card, and moved her hands to form giant glowing magic symbol that resembled a mystic triangle eye in front of her, all while saying "Troglardytarum." When she finished creating the symbol, she cried, "Troll!" A mystic light then started to form into a troll, which wore a rag and held a club. It scratched its head, looking at the second dragon man, where Genevieve had aimed her spell. It was probably because that was the dragon man that hurt her the most. The troll picked up its club, spun around, finally releasing it at the second dragon man. The dragon men were hurt, but not as hurt as they were.

"Aha," cried Malistere. "You doddering fool! Your students are no match for my forces!" Emily couldn't help but feel he had a point; she and her sister had only made dents in the dragon men, while the dragon men had already almost finished them.

"Oh no," said Ambrose, realizing the situation. "You two are in trouble! Quickly, one of you use the unicorn spell and cast it on yourselves. It will replenish your health." Emily searched the spell deck for the unicorn spell, and found it amongst the green cards.

The dragon men were going again. The first dragon man threw forward a purple card and moved his arms to make a giant purple magic symbol in front of him, which seemed to spark with electricity as it formed a lightning cloud.

"A storm spell," gasped Genevieve. The symbol and card intertwined, and the circle filled once more with water. In the water, Emily saw a shark dorsal fin, and then saw a jagged shark jump out of the water before submerging. It jumped out of the water again, this time swallowing Emily whole before it dissolved. Emily's ring was about the same size as her sister's now. Emily felt the after effects of the electrical shark, making her shake more than before.

"What?" Emily questioned.

"Storm is also a weakness to fire, but usually only when it comes to their spells, and usually when they are in a weakened state," explained Ambrose.

"I'm still confused," said Emily. She loved storms as much as she loved ice, and now they were her enemies. Emily realized she couldn't cast the spell in her weakened magical state.

"I can't cast the spell. Gen, you have to cast it." Emily to her sister, and threw the unicorn card to her. It zoomed toward Genevieve, and she caught it. Since Emily couldn't cast a spell, it was Genevieve's turn. She threw the card forward, and moved her arms to create giant green magical symbol in front of her that resembled a flower, all while saying, "Monocerotis." When she was done creating the symbol, she cried, "Unicorn!" The circle filled with grass and flowers, and a unicorn appeared. It walked forward, and bowed towards Emily. Emily was lifted upward, and she felt magical energy healing her wounds as green light surrounded her. She was lowered to the ground good as new, her ring full again and not shaking in the slightest.

"I'm all better," she cried. The unicorn turned, and bowed towards Genevieve, causing the same thing to happen to her.

"Me too," cried Genevieve.

"Foolish creatures!" cried Malistere. Emily turned and looked at them, almost thinking he was talking to her and her sister. She realized he was just talking to the dragon men. "You let the young whelps heal! Defeat the whelps or you'll suffer for it! Use _your_ spells to weaken _their_ spells!" Emily wasn't too concerned, she felt nearly invincible. Ambrose noticed the situation and waved his staff. The small lights at their feet, which Emily didn't pay much attention too before, multiplied.

"Here, young wizards, take some more pips. They power your spells. The more pips you have the more powerful spells you can cast. I should also mention, the stronger the spells you cast, the more mana you will use up." Emily took that into regard; so everything in the circle was important. "Quickly, now! Pick another spell and cast it at one of them!" Emily searched through the deck. She decided to use the extra pips to her advantage, and looked for the strongest spell she could cast. Finally, she found a spell which matched the amount of pips she had, which was three.

"I think I'll be casting the spell this time, Gen," said Emily. The second dragon man had heard her. It threw forward a beige card, made a symbol that resembled scales, and suddenly a spiked disk was floating around Emily's ring. Emily didn't know what that disk would do, but luckily it hadn't attacked her yet. Emily threw forward the green card she had drawn, and started to form the flower symbol while saying, "Natura iræ." Finishing the symbol, she cried, "Nature's wrath!"

Ambrose was concerned in the background.

"Oh my, that spell they cast weakened the power of the spell you just cast," he explained.

"What!?" cried the girls. The circle gained a forest-y terrain, filled with rocks and leaves. There was also a tree figure there that had grown out of the ground. It turned and looked at the dragon man that had just cast the spell. The disk circling Emily had stopped and shattered, sending magic sparks into the circle. The tree picked up a rock and hurled it at the dragon man. Now the second dragon man had less than half a ring left and was orange, but the other one still had some left to go, being in the yellow.

"At least you fools earn your keep!" cried Malistere. "Now finish them both!" Emily looked at her sister, as she did with her. They could both tell this wasn't going to well. Emily knew they had to finish this fast, or her and her sister weren't going to make it.

"One of you, cast the Balance blade spell on yourself, it will increase your next spells power," cried Ambrose. Emily was already forming a plan.

"Professor, you said the schools of magic have weaknesses."

"Yes, that is true."

"What school of magic are the dragon men? What's their weakness?"

"I believe the Draconians are masters of ice magic, and the only weakness to that school is fire magic."

"That's weird," said Emily. Since when did dragons attack with ice? Also, she thought that ice was the weakness to fire, not the other way around. She figured it worked in both ways. So it was a little weird and confusing, but also lucky, for Emily was a fire wizard. She rooted through the deck for a very strong fire spell, and she found one. The meteor strike spell, which would most likely wipe out all opponents; of course, it needed four pips to cast it, and the only one with four pips was her sister.

"Gen," called Emily. "Cast the balance blade on yourself!" Emily started rooting the deck for the balance blade spell.

"Why?" called Gen.

"Just trust me; I have a plan!" Emily found the card and threw it to her sister.

The Dragon men, or Draconians, focused their attention on Genevieve. The first one threw forward a red card and made a symbol of the flame. A phoenix erupted from the floor. Emily was amazed, but then remembered it was going to attack her sister. It breathed fire on her, which turned her ring yellow. The second Draconian threw forward a green card and made a symbol of a flower. The circle became forest-y, and a centaur jumped into a circle, its sights set on Genevieve. It was pretty big, so Emily worried about her sister's well-being. It pulled back its drawstring, and launched an arrow at her. Emily was afraid she was going to be speared. Luckily the arrow landed in between her legs, but a tree grew around her, broke apart and the splinters flew right into her. Her ring was now nearly half-way and in the orange.

It was their turn. Genevieve turned to Emily. "Why can't you cast the balance blade on yourself?"

"Because I don't have four pips," Emily reasoned. Genevieve threw forward the beige card, and made a symbol that resembled scales, all while saying, "Statera fortitudo." When she was finished, she cried, "Balance blade!" A disk appeared in front of Genevieve and circled her ring.

"Now take this," Emily said, handing the meteor strike spell to her sister. "This should wipe them out, thanks to the balance blade spell."

"I'm not sure, Em," said Genevieve, full of doubt. "I'm not a fire wizard; I might not be able to do it."

"It doesn't matter if you're a fire wizard or not," said Emily. "You're the only that can do it, because you're the only one with enough pips. I have two, you have five."

"These ones learn fast, Malistere," said Ambrose, proud of the girls. "Two can play at that game."

The Draconians still focused their attention on Genevieve. The first one threw forward a yellow card, a made a symbol that resembled a mystic eye. The inner circle changed to resemble the ruins of a coliseum, and a Minotaur walked out from the ruins in full battle armor. He pointed his finger in the direction of Genevieve as if he was challenging her. He swung his ax and the gusts of wind plowed into Genevieve, leaving her winded. The second did the same thing as the first, except this time, ninja pigs appeared. They did an acrobatic movement of jumping on top of each other; they then jumped off and posed in their fighting stances. They jumped in the air, rushing toward Genevieve, throwing their swords at her. She managed to jump and dodge two of them, but one of them left a deep cut in her leg. Her ring was tiny now, it only had a little chunk and it was red. Emily hoped she could cast the next spell.

Genevieve was on the floor, grasping her leg in pain. "Gen, cast the spell," cried Emily.

"DON'T MOVE!" cried Genevieve. Everything was still, even the triangle that indicated who was casting the spell. It stayed on Emily's ring. What was Genevieve doing?

"Professor, I need you to transfer some of my pips to Emily, so she can cast the meteor strike spell."

"What!?" said everyone in the room.

"Genevieve, are you crazy! I won't be able to finish them without the balance blade! You can do it because you have the pips and the balance blade!"

"I don't think I can do it," said Genevieve. "I'm down on my last leg here, besides I think you will be more natural with it because you're a fire wizard. You might still be able to wipe them out, they are weak to fire."

"If this doesn't work, Gen, we are in so much trouble." She turned to the headmaster. "Do it professor, transfer the pips."

Ambrose waved his staff and Genevieve was reduced to three pips, while Emily had four. Genevieve threw the spell back to Emily. She caught it, threw it forward and made a flame symbol all while saying "Meteoron percusserit." When she was finished, she cried, "Meteor strike." Portals appeared above her raining meteors in the room, of course they disappeared as fast as they appeared. A meteor fell down upon the first draconian, setting him aflame where he wreathed in agony for a minute and then disappeared in a flame; the second one was wiped out instantly. Emily almost felt sorry for the Draconians, but she figured, if they were real dragons the fire wouldn't have hurt them.

Emily had had defeated the Draconians. It felt amazing. Emily did a little happy dance. The circle disappeared; the duel was over.

"Excellent work, young wizards! Now let me see to Malistere…I'll show him…threatening new students before orientation, no less!" Emily remembered that Malistere was still in the room, and so she went to go see if her sister was okay. She went to her side, and knelt over her.

"Are you okay," she asked Genevieve.

"I'm still winded, and have a huge cut in my leg, but I guess I'm fine," she panted sarcastically.

"Another time, old man…I have what I came for." That peaked Emily's curiosity, what was Malistere after? "And now, I'll take my leave of this wretched place." With that, he disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"He's gone, and none too soon!" said Ambrose, outraged. "What sinister goal brought him here? Hmm…" That's what Emily wanted to know as well. "Oh my! You look a little bit worse for wear," he said regarding Genevieve. "Here, let me restore you two to your full Health and Mana." With a wave of his staff, a light passed over the both of them. Genevieve's wounds were healed and Emily felt restored energy wise. "On the bright side, congratulations! Defeating Malistere's henchmen has earned you two some experience. I must say though, you won't be able to do what you did in future battles. You'll have to rely on your own spell decks and your own pips increasing by themselves."

"So, no more stunts like that," Emily told Genevieve. Genevieve nodded.

"Whenever you reach new levels in magic, you'll be able to learn new spells."

"How will we know when we reach new levels?" asked Genevieve.

"You'll know," said Ambrose simply. Emily changed the subject.

"If we're going to use our own decks, shouldn't we have some in case we need them?"

"Oh, of course, here are two starter decks." He handed them two decks of cards. "Those decks have a beginner spell for each of you. You might also find some spell cards appearing in your decks when you have a certain object with you." He reached inside his cloak, pulling out two more crystal balls and handing them to Genevieve. "You might need these in case you two get separated and have to fight your own battles." Genevieve looked at the red and blue crystal balls questionably. "You're also going to need spell books and wands. Here you go. No wizard should ever be without them." With a wave of his staff, the girls suddenly were holding wands in their hands and big tomes in their arms. Emily's wand had a ruby on the end, and Genevieve's wand was a star rimmed with other stars.

"Why do we need these?" asked Genevieve, referring to the books.

"They're to review what you learned in class, and to hold your extra spell cards that aren't in your deck."

"How are we going to carry these around with us everywhere?"

"That's simple; just tap them with your wand." The girls did that, and the books shrunk to fit in the palm of their hand. "Now it will be able to fit in the bag around your waist. If you want it to be normal size, just tap it again. Your spell book is also meant for holding all your things; almost like you're backpack."

"How?"

"Simple, every time you receive something it will immediately go in your spell book to be obtained later."

"Thank you, professor," replied Emily.

"I should say, girls, I was quite impressed with your courage. There is little doubt that a great destiny awaits the both of you." The girls looked at each other, amazed. "Who knows? Maybe one of you will fill my shoes and become headmaster someday."

"I'm not sure about that professor," said Genevieve.

"Well, perhaps," he said smiling. "But now, if you'll excuse me, I have a mountain of duties to attend to right now, including readying your enrollment. So if you don't mind waiting for a moment or two, I'll pop back to my office and straighten up."

"Take as much time as you need."

"I summon you two when things are presentable. So many books and papers to tidy up…where did I put those forms…see you soon!" With that he disappeared in a puff of smoke and stars, and it sounded as if a firecracker went off.

"I don't think we should stay here," said Genevieve.

"We'll be summoned shortly," reassured Emily.

"No, I mean in this world. I don't think we should stay here."

"Why not?" asked Emily, aghast.

"_Why not?!_ I nearly died back there!"

"You were fine, you just got cut."

"I was bleeding out."

"You were healed instantly; I don't think they'll let you die here."

"It still scares me being here," said Genevieve indigently.

"Well, I feel like we have to be here. You can go if you want, but I'm staying, and I'll be learning magic _without_ you." Emily knew how to push her sister's buttons.

"Fine, I'll stay; as long you back me up out there."

"Don't worry, I will, I promise." With that, they disappeared out of the golem tower, and appeared in the headmaster's office.

* * *

**That's the end of that chapter. What did you think? Tell me in your reviews!**


	4. Unicorn Way Pt 1

**Man this chapter is really long, but I managed to get it out this month, so that's good! Hopefully the next chapter will be shorter, it will be first person perspective. By the way, I will slowly only make this a first person perspective story. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

[3rd person limited, Genevieve]

Its true Genevieve had her doubts about Wizard city, was it was safe for them or not. She felt safer back in her old life, which she could happily continue. Of course, she knew her sister wasn't the same. Back at home, her sister was an oddball; so much so she was bullied because of it. There was also the fact that Genevieve had to share her friends with Emily, for Emily couldn't make any by herself. Back in the old school, Genevieve had to always stick up for her, for she never got a break from the torment. Here, was a different story. There was a chance they could learn magic, which was exciting, but also dangerous. Genevieve saw that Emily didn't care about that. Emily was willing to face the danger, and have an adventure, and jump off to a new place, without hesitation. Genevieve realized that the biggest thing that Emily feared was probably not what this world had to offer, but what their old world did. Genevieve knew Emily wouldn't be so willing to come back with her, so she was going to stay and learn magic. Genevieve did not want anything happening to her sister without her by her side. Other than that, how would it be fair if Emily knew magic and she didn't? That settled her decision.

Genevieve was comforted knowing Emily would have her back out there, after learning she could be easily taken down. Genevieve hoped Emily knew that Genevieve had her back as well.

* * *

They had appeared in the headmaster's office. Genevieve didn't know what she was supposed to expect. With all the magic and wizards running through her head, she might have been expecting an office like Dumbledore's, of course she was also thinking about her world so she might have been expecting an office like a normal principal's office, except with magic. What Genevieve had got was closer to her second guess, except it was also like the first. It was like a study, with magic. There were piles of books everywhere and a desk in the center of the room which had red walls and black and white tiles on the floor. There was a crystal ball next to the headmaster. He was talking to a bunch of other students.

"I guess we need to talk to him if we're going to get enrolled," said Emily.

"He seems busy," said Genevieve.

"Why else would he summon us here if we're not supposed to talk to him?" Emily countered.

Genevieve shrugged her shoulders in defeat and went with her sister to go talk to the headmaster. When they approached him, he noticed.

"Excuse me for a moment," he said to a boy he was talking to. "Welcome to wizard city, girls. Things are not normally this hectic. There's a problem on Unicorn Way that absolutely must be dealt with before we can get you two enrolled." So that's why everyone was there. It must have been serious if they had to put off enrollment.

"I have an idea!" exclaimed the headmaster. "Perhaps, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, you two might take a look? You may be able to help."

"We just got here," argued Genevieve.

"Come on, Gen," countered Emily. "It should be no problem if we work together. Besides," Emily whispered, "we took on that bad wizard's henchmen."

"This is different now," Genevieve whispered angrily. "I could be pummeled to a pulp out there; you could be too!"

"Yeah, but that was dragons. It might be something else this time; we might be able to handle it."

"_Might_," Genevieve stressed.

"Come on, Gen," Emily urged.

"Fine," Genevieve gave in, and Emily smiled. "We'll take a look."

"Remember our promise," Genevieve whispered to Emily. Emily nodded.

"Good," said Ambrose. "This will also help you see more of Wizard city."

"That will be exciting," said Emily eagerly.

"I don't know," said Genevieve. "Unicorn Way sounds like a place where there is a lot of happiness, if you know what I mean."

"It's a favorite place to visit for the school of life magic," explained Ambrose.

"Shouldn't be too bad then," said Emily. "After all, fire and storm make life." The headmaster nodded and reached inside his cloak pulling out a letter with an ornate wax seal. He handed it to the Genevieve.

"Please deliver this letter to Private Stillson at the Unicorn Way gate. He will let you through."

"Why aren't they letting anyone through?" questioned Genevieve.

"The problem's probably pretty big," suggested Emily.

"It is," said the Headmaster. "You should go."

"How will we find it if we've never been here before?" questioned Genevieve.

"Your wands can show you the way," said the headmaster. Emily put a hand on her shoulder, and Genevieve looked at her.

"We should go," said Emily. They headed out the door. After which, their wands started to glow.

"What's this mean?" asked Emily.

"I don't know," said Genevieve. "Let's give them a wave and find out."

The girls hesitantly waved their wands, wondering what would happen. A small image appeared before them which resembled a stork man.

"Hello young wizards," said the man. "I have recently acquired the information that you are new students at the school. Let me introduce myself, I am Mister Lincoln, The registrar of Wizard City. I will provide you with useful information that will help you during your stay here and in your studies."

"Thank you, Mister Lincoln," said Genevieve. At this point, nothing could surprise her, not even that.

"I apologize for the interruption in your travels, but I wanted to bring something important to your attention."

"No trouble at all," said Emily, "proceed."

"If you ever have any questions about magic or the world around you, I've included some reference material in your spell book."

"Cool," said Genevieve. Mr. Lincoln continued explaining.

"Just simply open your spell book and look over the help pages. They contain loads of valuable information."

"Thank you," said Emily. With that, the image disappeared.

"Okay," said Emily. "Let's see what some of this info is." Emily got out her spell book and tapped it with her wand, making it enlarge.

"Emily, aren't we in a hurry," said Genevieve.

"No, we can spare some time." Emily flipped through her pages until she found a tab with a question mark on it. "This is probably it." So, Emily flipped to the help pages.

"Check this out, Gen. The more experienced we are with magic, the more people will think we are responsible enough to do things around here."

"Like what," said Genevieve.

"Hmm," said Emily as she scanned the page. "At level three, we can learn crafting if we want. From the picture, I think it's like potions."

"There's also a gear, like building things, and I don't think I can do that."

"Aren't storm students supposed to be inventive?" Genevieve shrugged her shoulders.

"Meh," was all she uttered.

"I guess we could try it," said Emily.

"What else is there," asked Genevieve.

"Well," continued Emily. "At level five they'll let us get pets." They did see someone with a fish like thing, and someone riding on a lion. The picture showed a pig with wings.

"They must have weird pets here; I wonder if there'll be any we'll like."

"Well, if not, we just won't get pets. We didn't have any at home."

"What else is there?"

"At level seven we can learn how to fish." Genevieve never had the patience or the heart to fish back at home.

"Maybe not."

"It could be fun," Emily protested.

"Okay maybe," Genevieve huffed. "What's next?"

"At level ten we can enter Wizard vs Wizard tournaments."

"No thanks, not very competitive," said Genevieve. They had played floor hockey before, but that was short lived. They always felt crushed whenever they competed.

"So, maybe not tournaments," said Emily. "But at level twelve we can learn how to garden." Genevieve knew they never had fun doing that.

"Sounds boring," said Genevieve.

"There's magic here, it could be different."

"Okay, we might try it. What else is there?"

"The last thing is buying castles at level fifteen."

"Why would we want to buy a castle, they're very roomy?"

"You never know," said Emily. "I guess the dorms can get crowded."

"I doubt we will get one," said Genevieve. "Now that we're done looking at help pages, maybe we should head to unicorn way." Emily closed her book, tapped it with her wand, shrinking it, and placed it back in her bag. Emily stuck out her wand.

"Okay, wand…Unicorn way!" Nothing happened. Emily tried again. "We…don't know where it is." Genevieve tried her wand. She waved it around.

"Come on, wands, show where Unicorn way is." Genevieve's wand started to glow again, but this time, the stars flew off her wand and landed on the ground. There was a flash, and an arrow had appeared by their feet. Genevieve moved a little forward, and the arrow moved with her.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Emily. "I want to try!"

"We only need one guide," said Genevieve.

"I want to see if I can do it." Emily waved her wand and said, "Wand, show me the way to Private Stilson." Emily's wand glowed and Emily got excited. "Gen," she cried. "There is an arrow in my wand that shows me how many steps we need to take and what direction we need to go to get to Private Stilson." Emily showed Genevieve her wand, and indeed there was an arrow in there that pointed the direction they needed to go and the number of steps they needed to take, which was one hundred and twelve. Emily was grinning. "Mine's more accurate than yours."

Genevieve glared at her.

"Come on, who can't follow a giant arrow on the ground."

"Exactly," said Emily. Genevieve glared at her again. "I'm not saying you're stupid, Gen. I'm just saying mine's less flashy; less of an eye sore." Genevieve glared at her again. Emily didn't know what to say some times.

"We'll follow both of them," compromised Genevieve. They followed the arrows until they made it to a barred gateway with a guard in front, who they assumed was Private Stilson.

"These wands are amazing," stated Emily.

"Couldn't agree more with you," said Genevieve. They approached Private Stilson.

"Can we enter please," said Emily. "We need to check things out."

"None shall pass!" exclaimed Stilson. "Unicorn Way is off limits. There are ghosts everywhere!"

"G-ghosts," Emily stammered. Emily had always been freaked out by ghosts and anything that reminded her that people can die. Meanwhile, Genevieve was never so bothered by it.

"At least it's not dragons," said Genevieve, a little relieved. She pulled the letter from the headmaster out of her bag and handed it to Private Stilson, showing him the headmaster's wax seal. "The headmaster says that we should go through and take a look at the problem because we might be able to help." Stilson opened and read the letter, and then handed it back to Genevieve.

"Looks legit. I'll let you pass. You better show this to Private Connelly on Unicorn way." He went to open the gate, and as he was opening it, he said, "You know, there are some students already in there trying to solve the problem. They had no luck, and it got so bad we had to close off the street."

"It's been going on for a while?" asked Emily.

"It started a few days ago when the students started coming here from other worlds to get ready for the new school year. Luckily, classes don't start until tomorrow; otherwise this would be interfering with their school schedule." Genevieve figured the school schedule here must have been a little different than theirs, because for them, school didn't start for a few more days. To think they showed up the day before school even started. The gate was then open.

"Here you go, say hello to Private Connelly for me."

"Let's go!" Genevieve ran toward the open gate. She turned back and saw her sister hadn't moved. "Why aren't you coming?"

"There are g-ghosts through that tunnel." Genevieve gave an exasperated sigh.

"Em, the best way to beat something you're afraid of, is to picture yourself not afraid of it. Not all ghosts are bad."

"These ones are if they have to solve the problem."

"Listen, ghosts are no sweat, should be a piece of cake, trust me." Emily hesitated but then replied, "I do."

"Then let's go; those ghosts aren't going to beat themselves." They ran down the tunnel together to Unicorn Way.

* * *

When they made it out of the opposite end of the tunnel, Emily was relieved.

"Phew, no ghosts so far," she said. They looked at their wands and saw they were glowing again. Emily waved her wand first, and a small image of a unicorn man came out.

"They don't call this Unicorn Way for nothing," said Genevieve.

"Who knew they'd be so buff," said Emily. The Unicorn man spoke.

"I am the Duelmaster," the Unicorn man said in a Spanish accent.

"Who knew they'd be Spanish," said Genevieve.

"If you would like to learn more about Wizard vs Wizard duels, find me outside the Arena on Unicorn way." They looked around for an arena. Emily spotted something.

"I see him over there, and he's dressed up all nice with a fencing sword." Indeed, there was a Unicorn man in their line of vision dressed up in a nice suit, with a cape and a fencing sword, wearing a big debonair smile. He was looking at the girls; he had obviously just sent the message to them.

"Let's check our other message," said Genevieve. She waved her wand and a small image of a blue fairy appeared.

"The Fairy godmother?" questioned Emily. "Or is it the blue fairy?" The fairy spoke.

"I am Professor Greyrose."

"You're one of our new Professors?" asked Genevieve.

"Yes, I am the professor for the school of Ice."

"Oh," said Emily. "Why are you contacting us?"

"I heard you two were new students here, and that Merle has sent you to investigate Unicorn way.

"Yes, that's true," said Genevieve.

"You should know that this area has monsters in it that are likely to attack you."

"See Gen," said Emily. "The ghosts attack people!"

"We know about the monsters already," said Genevieve.

"Well you should know that if you want to safely traverse any area, stick to the sidewalks, for they are safe. The sidewalk will always be the one place monsters can't go. Different reasons for different streets and different monsters."

"Really," Emily said, intrigued. "What's the case here?"

"For Unicorn Way, the edges of the sidewalks are enchanted by Unicorn horn, so beings of evil and the undead cannot cross."

"That's nice to know," said Genevieve.

"Take care, dears," said the fairy, before the image disappeared. Genevieve turned to her sister.

"Okay," said Emily. "How about I go see what the Duelmaster wants to tell us, and you can go handle the ghosts." Genevieve could not believe how cowardly her sister was acting.

"Where'd the bravery go?"

"I'm not backing out of this because of fear! I just think it's better if we multitask."

"Yeah right, we weren't even going to participate in those things."

"I still think we should check it out in case we change our minds. This is a new place, who knows what we'll want to do?" Emily didn't sound scared when she was saying that. That was enough for her sister to believe. "I'll fill you in on what the Duelmaster says."

"I'll fill you in on the ghosts." With that they went their separate ways for the first time in Wizard City. Genevieve went to Private Connelly. He asked what she was doing there, and she showed him the letter.

"Ah, a letter from the headmaster! You're very brave to bring this to me." Genevieve was annoyed to think that she and her sister were only brave in certain situations. He continued by saying, "Be careful going down Unicorn way. The street is dangerous. I've seen wizards like you go down that way and never come back. Beware!" That was creepy to think about. Maybe Emily had a real reason to be afraid, but how can ghosts be that dangerous? Genevieve felt that she was about to enter a whole new level. Private Connelly wasn't done.

"Your arrival is a blessing! We need help fending off the ghosts in Unicorn way. Some dark forces have risen and we don't have enough guards to stop them!"

"So you called in some students to risk their lives fending off the ghosts," Genevieve asked sarcastically.

"Hey, we feel guilty enough as it is. We just asked for their help and they volunteered, but they still weren't enough for the ghosts, there was too many for them! Why do you think we closed the gate? It was to keep other students from endangering themselves!" Genevieve was really confused.

"Yet, you think I can make a difference?"

"You and your sister, wherever she is," Now Private Connelly was lost.

"Oh, she's doing another thing at the moment. Just answer this for me, how are ghosts dangerous?"

"You don't think that…Ha! You'd be surprised of how dangerous ghosts can be."

"Yeah, but they're dead; they shouldn't be able to do anything to anybody."

"Yet, they have been. Please help us, we'd be honored if you would use your powers and chase away lost souls for us!"

"I'm really confused here, Private Connelly. You say these ghosts are really dangerous, so dangerous that they're taking down students, but you just want me to _chase_ them away?"

"Please, help us." He was down on his hands and knees.

"Of course, it makes sense that you can't kill a ghost again, you can only dispel it."

"Please, I'm begging you!"

"Relax Connelly, I'll do it. I was going to anyway, I was just muttering to myself."

"Thank you," he said getting off the ground.

"How many have you managed to drive away?"

"It doesn't matter, for all the ones we drive away, more come back"

"Is it like a hydra's head?"

"No, it's like a never ending supply."

"Oh, they just keep getting replaced. Okay, so we'll just keep hitting them."

"We're getting exhausted."

"They can't leave the road, right?"

"Correct, but we're afraid someone will help them find a way across. They might get through our lines and get passed us. All the roads are connected."

"Someone's behind all this?" Genevieve wondered who; it probably wasn't Malistere. It seemed petty for someone like him.

"We don't know for sure, for now all we know is that there are ghosts, which is odd, because this is a place of life magic, so there shouldn't be ghosts here."

"If I can't wipe them out, what exactly do you want me to do?"

"If you chase off _some_ ghosts, we should be able to catch up."

"So you're saying you want me to make this easier for you?"

"Pretty much so," said Connelly.

"Okay, I'll clear a section of the street for you."

"Thank you very much." Genevieve, with her wand in hand, ran through Unicorn Park down to the Unicorn Way Street. She had gotten a message on her wand again. She waved it in frustration. An image of the headmaster appeared.

"Grand central station, how may I help you?" said Genevieve sarcastically.

"I just wanted to say another way to find your way around is a map you have in your spell book. It is enchanted to show the expanse of area you are traveling in." The image disappeared.

"That was short," said Genevieve; "Must have been just a message." She continued to the street and saw the lost souls. To be truthful, Genevieve did not find them that frightening. It wasn't like they were that gory, they were just cloaked so you couldn't see their face; also it wasn't like they seemed to be capable of anything frightening, it wasn't like they made things cold and could suck out your soul like a dementor, they were just roaming around. Genevieve smiled, for her task seemed pretty simple. She ran onto the street. She wondered if she could just blast the ghosts away, but as she confronted one, a duel circle had appeared.

"Oh, so it's going to be like this, huh," Genevieve reasoned. It was her strike first. She pulled a card from her deck. It was a minor lightning strike; Genevieve hoped it would get the job done. She threw it forward and made a symbol of a storm cloud with her wand, and that was it. The symbol and card intertwined, and from the sky came a bolt of lightning that struck the ghost. The ghost was still there, but it had a little bit left. The ghost moved its arms and made a symbol of a snowflake.

"Ghosts can do magic!" cried Genevieve as an ice beetle appeared and rammed into her, leaving her feeling cold. Genevieve drew another minor lightning strike card, made a symbol of a thunder cloud with her wand, and continued to hug herself. The strike did the trick, for as it hit the ghost, it was dispelled.

Genevieve continued on to fight more ghosts. When she went to find another ghost she ran into red light that was floating around. It flew into her and she felt better, she couldn't explain that, but she decided to take it. She ran into another ghost, having another duel. She struck first, deciding to use a Thunder Snake that time. She threw the card forward, made a magic symbol of a thundercloud in front of her, and said "Serpens Tonitrui." When she was finished, she cried, "Thunder Snake!" A snake appeared before her and breathed lightning at the ghost. That was enough to dispel it instantly. She continued on to the last ghost she could find in her section of the street. She struck first, preparing to cast a thunder snake and finish it quickly, but it fizzled just as she was crying out Thunder Snake.

"What happened?" asked Genevieve, worried now. The ghost cast an ice beetle, and it spat ice at Genevieve.

"Now I'm cold, and I realize spells don't work all the time." She decided to do something simple and cast a minor lightning strike. It didn't take the ghost out, but at least it didn't fizzle. The ghost made another ice symbol, but it didn't cast a spell. Instead, it dove into the circle, coming out where Genevieve was and passing right through her.

"Th-th-that w-w-was f-f-_freezing!"_ Genevieve didn't know if she could cast the next spell, but she had to try, for she was the only one fighting. She tried to cast another Thunder Snake, for she was in trouble. Surprisingly, it worked. The Thunder snake took out the ghost, shooting lightning from its tail, and the ghost was dispelled.

She made her way to the sidewalk, shivering, and saw her wand was glowing.

"W-wh-what i-is i-it th-th-this t-time," said Genevieve, annoyed and cold. She waved her wand and an image of a tree's face came through.

"H-how d-did a tr-tree s-send m-me a m-message?"

"It's better if you don't ask," said the tree. "I barely remember myself." The tree must have been very old, so Genevieve decided to listen.

"I am Bartelby; the grandfather tree." So he was old. "You might be noticing small lights floating around." Genevieve nodded. "These are wisps. The red wisps will restore a bit of your health if you catch one. The blue wisps will restore will restore a bit of your mana if you catch them." The image disappeared. That was helpful information; it explained why Genevieve felt better after absorbing that red wisp. So, Genevieve figured if she was going to feel better, she was going to need more of those wisps. She pulled out the red crystal ball she had and saw it only had a third of liquid in it. She looked around and saw that there were two red wisps on her section of street. She absorbed them, having her crystal ball fill back up, and no longer feeling cold. She put away her red crystal ball and returned to Private Connelly where she found her sister waiting.

"So Em," said Genevieve. "What did the Duelmaster have to say?"

"He had a really long name; all I remember is that his name is Diego. He said that we might not be able to compete in dueling tournaments just yet, but we can practice for them and compete in ranked duels, which will affect our rating in duels and go on the leaderboard, which is different every season of dueling, known as an age, and the length of those isn't planned."

"Anything else?"

"Oh, in ranked duels you can get arena tickets which you can redeem for prizes from anyone outside the arena."

"Okay, still doesn't sound interesting."

"Who knows, we might want to learn something from him."

"Sure, but now I have to fill Private Connelly in about the ghosts _I_ cleared."

"How'd it go?" asked Private Connelly, who was right there.

"I cleared the front section of the street for you, like I said."

"That's turned the tide for us! We'll follow your lead and get back to work. If only we knew what was causing this spread of the Undead."

"They don't know why all the ghosts are here?" questioned Emily.

"No Emily, they actually do know the reason and are just trying to test out their skills as guards," said Genevieve sarcastically. "Of course they don't know the reason! Otherwise, the problem would have been solved by now."

"You two should talk to Ceren Nightchant and see if he could use any help. He's the student in charge of solving a fairy problem here."

"Ghosts I can understand," said Emily. "But as for fairies, how are they dangerous?" Genevieve actually knew the answer to that question, for she looked up the folklore on fairies back at home and knew they could be quite dangerous.

"Let's just go and talk to Ceren," suggested Genevieve as she pulled her sister away from Private Connelly.

"Where is this Ceren Nightchant guy, anyway? It would have been nice if he would have told us where he was."

"Excuse me," said a boy who had a green hooded cloak and had a staff with leaves on it. "Are you looking for Ceren Nightchant?"

"Yeah," said Genevieve. "I helped Private Connelly with his ghost problem, so he suggested _we_ help out Ceren Nightchant with his fairy problem. Do you know where he is?"

"Yes, in fact, you're talking to him right now." Both the girls' eyes popped open.

"We should have known this was Ceren," said Emily. "We haven't seen anybody else on the street so far."

"Greetings," said Ceren.

"Hello," said Genevieve.

"Hi," said Emily. "I'm Emily and this is my twin sister Genevieve, yet its okay if you just want to call her Gen."

"Nice to meet the both of you," said Ceren. "What are you doing on Unicorn Way in this time of crisis?"

"The headmaster sent us to help the people tackling the problems here," explained Genevieve. "He seems to be impressed with our skill and thought we could make a difference here."

"You made the ghosts less of a problem," reasoned Emily.

"That's nice," said Ceren. "Professor Wu sent me here to see if the rumors about the fairies are true."

"So, you're just checking if the fairies are a problem?" asked Genevieve.

"I would be," said Ceren. "Of course, the guards aren't letting me out past Unicorn Park, they say it's too dangerous for me, but I can't see any fairies from here."

"How can you be in charge of the problem if you can't do anything about it?" asked Emily. "I say go and check anyway."

"That would just be troublesome for the guards. They are already trying to get rid of the ghosts; I'd just make things more problematic if I was out there."

"You know magic, don't you?" asked Genevieve.

"I do, but as a life student…and the undead roaming around…it's complicated."

"I thought life was a weakness to death," said Emily.

"It is, but it also works the other way around. That's why the guards told me to stay here. All the undead roaming around, it's very sudden. We don't know most of the outcomes of what might happen. The life students want to help out their street, but there isn't much anyone is letting us do."

"Can't you just stay on the sidewalks?" questioned Genevieve.

"Just because evil and the undead can't cross, doesn't mean a way can't be found around it."

"If it's so troublesome for the life students, why don't the other schools send students to help?" asked Emily.

"They did," said Ceren sadly.

"What happened?" asked Emily. Genevieve glared at her, and Emily caught the message. "Oh," said Emily sadly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," said Ceren. "I'm pretty sure the students knew what they were getting into…at least I hope so." There was a moment of silence.

"Well, the guards let me take on the ghosts," said Genevieve.

"They are also letting us head out further into the street," said Emily.

"That's right," said Ceren. "The guards haven't stopped you from heading out there yet." An idea had seemed to be forming in Ceren's mind.

"Would you check to see if the rumors about the dark fairies in Unicorn Way are true?" asked Ceren.

"Of course we will," said Genevieve.

"Anything to help," said Emily.

"Okay," said Ceren. "Just walk down Unicorn Way and see if there are any dark fairies, but if there are dark fairies, and they attack you, you'd best know how to defend yourself."

"Don't worry yourself," said Genevieve. "We'll be fine." The girls then started to make their way to the street. That is when Emily started to see the ghosts for the first time.

"Those are the ghosts? They don't look so frightening. They don't even look that threatening."

"See," said Genevieve. "I told you so." As they continued to make their way down the street, they were stopped by an old woman.

"Oh good gracious, do you think you can help me, young wizards?"

"What is it ma'am?" asked Emily.

"My name is Olivia Dawnwillow. I was a resident on Unicorn Way before everything happened."

"What do you mean you _were_ a resident?" asked Genevieve.

"Most of the street has already evacuated their homes."

"That's terrible," said Emily.

"Don't worry," said Genevieve. "The guards are doing everything they can, in fact they are probably doing better and the ghosts will be out in no time. You'll all be back in your homes soon enough."

"Oh, the ghosts aren't the reason everyone's evacuated."

"They're not?" questioned Genevieve.

"Oh no, it's the skeletal pirates that are the problem."

"Skeletal pirates!" said Emily. "That's worse than the ghosts!" Emily was freaked out ever since she saw snippets from that '_Pirates of the Caribbean'_ movie.

"The Skeletal pirates are looting all the houses on Unicorn way! They're not dangerous individually, but in numbers they can't be stopped. Please use your powers to drive them out!"

"How can they get onto the sidewalk?" asked Genevieve.

"They probably found a way across," said Emily. "Why hasn't anyone else taken care of this already?" she questioned.

"They were probably too busy with the ghosts," explained Genevieve. "Don't worry ma'am, we'll take care of it." The girls continued on their way down the street, discussing what to do.

"Okay," said Emily. "We're faced with two tasks again. We should split up and tackle them both. I'll take the fairies, and you can take the skeletons."

"Oh no," said Genevieve. "You just want to take the fairies because they're not a challenge and you're not scared of them, just like before."

"That's not true; the fairies could be a little challenging and maybe even a tiny bit scary."

"No, you're going to fight the skeletons while I look for fairies."

"But-but-but there's a lot of them, and they're skeletons!"

"Trust me, you need this; I took on a bunch of ghosts by myself, you should take on a bunch of skeletons."

"Meep-Meep-Meep," was all Emily could mutter out.

"Come on, they won't be so scary once you get to fight them," said Genevieve as she pulled her sister down the sidewalk. They turned a corner and passed the ghosts. They walked until they saw a skeleton.

"Looks there's a pirate now," said Genevieve. Meanwhile, Emily looked like she was trying to decide if she was scared of them or not. "Go on and fight them." Emily confronted the skeleton and they went into a duel circle.

"So, it's going to be like this, is it?" said Emily. Meanwhile, Genevieve went to go find dark fairies. Genevieve ended up walking the entire street. She saw a lot of skeletal pirates roaming around, who had probably already looted most of the houses, but she didn't see any fairies.

'_Maybe the rumors are false_,' she thought. Just then she spotted them. Fairies with pale skin and big purple eyes; they had purple clothes and boots, pink wings, and black hair; trailing behind them was purple dust. '_Dark fairies,_' thought Genevieve. '_The rumors _are_ true._ _Not only that, but they're swarming the street!'_ Genevieve saw them flying down the street to where her sister was fighting skeletons. '_I should stop them from coming any farther, at least for now.'_

Genevieve rushed towards a fairy and a duel circle appeared.

"This is understandable," said Genevieve. Genevieve cast a lightning strike, and it only seemed to lay a dent in the fairy. The fairy tried casting a fire spell, but it fizzled. Genevieve then tried casting a Thunder snake and that fizzled as well. The fairy then threw out a beige card, made a symbol of scales, and shouted in high pitch voice, "Scarab!" The circle filled with sand, a scarab with a symbol of scales on its back appeared. It ran up and rammed Genevieve.

"Oh, so you can talk," said Genevieve.

"Why would I talk to the likes of you," said dark fairy.

"Good point," said Genevieve. "I mean, you are about to be defeated." Genevieve cast a Thunder Snake. It breathed lightning on the fairy, and the fairy exploded into dark dust. Genevieve ran down the street to obtain a wisp before she battled again; once that was done, she went to go find another fairy.

"That's right," said Genevieve as she was looking around for a fairy to attack. "I forgot to tell Emily about the wisps. What will happen if she's defeated out there?" She didn't have time to ponder that, for she had found another fairy to attack. She confronted it, a duel circle appeared, and she cast a lightning strike at the fairy. The fairy made a symbol of a flower, and cried, "Imp!" An imp appeared and played harsh sounding music that hurt Genevieve's ears. Genevieve cast another lightning strike at the fairy while saying, "Why are there so many dark fairies?" The fairy glared at her, making a flower symbol before it, screaming, "Shut up!" The fairy was released from her circle, so she could fly right into Genevieve, kicking her in the chest and laughing while doing so. Genevieve cast a Thunder Snake at the fairy. It shot lightning from its tail, causing the fairy to explode into dust. She turned to look at the other fairies in the street, and they flew away at her gaze. '_That should keep them away for now_,' she thought. '_Better go meet up with Emily_ _and see how she's_ _handling the skeletons.'_ Her sister was actually closer than she thought. As she came into the turnaround, she saw her sister fighting a skeleton, and she was just finishing the fight as she cast a fire cat at the skeleton and it crumbled into bones. Genevieve ran to meet her sister on the sidewalk.

"Hey Em, you're alright! How'd the skeleton fighting go?"

"Pretty good, I cleared two sections of the street; it shouldn't be so bad now."

"You cleared two sections! How?"

"I'm not that weak," grumbled Emily.

"No, I mean, why aren't you exhausted?"

"Oh, well, you see I found these red lights floating around the street, and I found out that if you catch them, they restore a portion of your health before they disappear. I also caught a blue one, and I found out those restore your mana." Emily sure was smart; she figured it all out on her own.

"Did you find dark fairies?"

"Oh, yeah I did." Genevieve was zoned out for a moment. "I found out there are not only dark fairies, but they're swarming the street."

"That's terrible! We should go tell Ceren. I should also go tell Ms. Dawnwillow that I drove some Skeletons away." As they made their way back, Emily informed Genevieve that she also found out about obtaining clothes and that she got a cloak to protect her from life magic that could hurt her. "A tiny ball of light came from where the skeleton crumbled and flew into my bag. I ran to the sidewalk to investigate. I opened her bag and all she found was my spell book. I pulled it out, enlarged it, and opened it. It opened to a page that showed me wearing a green outfit. The description said that it was a sturdy coat that would weaken the effects of life magic cast on me. She placed my hand on the picture of me wearing the outfit finding that I could put my hand straight through the picture. I grabbed onto something, and pulled my hand out. I now saw that she had the outfit in my hand. It felt nice, that being a way to hold clothes, and useful. I put the outfit back in my book, closed it, shrank it back down, and put it back in my bag."

Genevieve thought this was very useful, for the dark fairies mostly used life magic. This probably meant Emily was supposed to help with the fairies.

When they made it back to Ms. Dawnwillow, Emily approached her.

"Ms. Dawnwillow, I cleared two sections of street containing skeletal pirates, it should be safe to return to your home now."

"What about all the things that were taken from the homes, did you retrieve them?"

"Well, no, but I'm pretty sure once this is all over we'll find out where the pirates stashed everyone's things and they can be returned to them. Things will return to normal after we fix everything."

"Oh, bless you, child. We owe you a debt of gratitude."

"Oh, it was nothing really."

"Told ya," said Genevieve. "Now we should go talk to Ceren about what I saw."

"Wait," said Ms. Dawnwillow. "I want you to have this," she said holding out a ring to Emily. "It's a flawed opal ring; it will make you a little stronger when you fight monsters." Emily took it and looked it over.

"I'm sorry, but I don't need it. I don't wear rings anyway."

"Can I have it," asked Genevieve.

"Sure, if you want." Genevieve took the ring and slipped it on, and she felt a little stronger. It's what she needed more than her sister, besides; she was one for jewelry more than her as well. After that, they ran into Unicorn Park to tell Ceren what Genevieve saw.

"Emily, Genevieve, did you find any dark fairies?"

"She did," said Emily, pointing at Genevieve.

"Unicorn Way is swarming with evil fairies," said Genevieve.

"Unicorn Way is swarming with evil Fairies? They have been corrupted just as I feared," said Ceren in worry.

"I fought a couple of them to keep them from getting too close to the edge of Unicorn Way."

"If they have been corrupted, then there must be a way to change them back right," said Emily. "Gen, did they turn good again after you defeated them?"

"Sadly no," said Genevieve, realizing of what she did to once innocent things. "After I defeated them they exploded into dark fairy dust."

"You couldn't even change them back by defeating them? That's really bad!"

"Yeah," said Emily, shocked. "Once they're evil, they're evil for good, if that makes any sense."

"Apparently, evil forces are at work here in Wizard City. Some dark element has emerged despite Ambrose's attempts to keep us safe. Thank you for letting me know. I must alert the others!"

"What others?" asked Genevieve. "We hadn't seen anybody here yet."

"I'm talking about the other life students. They left when things got out of hand here, and instead set up a base in Ravenwood. I'm supposed to contact them if anything changes here." Ceren banged his staff on the ground. A green light emerged and disappeared into the air.

"So that's how a message is sent," said Emily. "I've been wondering how that works. Do you just think about whom you want to send it to and it goes to them? What about if you're just sending a message? Do you just say what you want and then it goes there? What happens if they receive the message?" Just then an image of girl in green robes, a green hat and who was holding green feathered staff appeared in front of Ceren.

"I'm guessing that," said Genevieve.

"Hey Ceren, what's happening on Unicorn Way?"

"Turns out the rumors are true about the dark fairies in Unicorn Way. In fact, there are so many that they are starting to swarm. What's worse is they can't be changed back by defeating them; they're stuck like that!"

"Oh no," said the girl. "The fairies were always the best part of Unicorn Way. Will it ever be the same again?"

"I don't know Sabrina, but things might get better, I have a storm and a fire student here helping me. They haven't had any problems so far, they might be able to help us fix things, and Unicorn Way will return to how it used to be." The girls blushed.

"Who are they?"

"Emily is the name of the fire student, and Genevieve is the storm student."

"I hope we'll get to meet them. Good luck with the fairies, Ceren. We'll tell Professor Wu about what happened."

"Take care, Sabrina." Ceren banged his staff again, and Sabrina disappeared. As she disappeared, two lights appeared and went into the girls' bags. They would check what they were later.

"That was nice of you to say," said Emily.

"What, we are all grateful for what you're doing for us. You're helping us get our street back."

"Well, you're welcome."

"What exactly are we going to do?" said Genevieve. "The fairies are being corrupted by who-knows-what, and we don't know how to stop it."

"You're right, Genevieve! My friends always tell me I never leave well enough alone. But this time something foul is afoot, I'm sure of it!"

"Your friends seemed to be agreeing with you a moment ago," said Genevieve.

"I have other friends besides the life students. They think the guards can handle everything, but they don't know about the fairies, and if they do they think the problem can solve itself."

"But they're wrong," said Emily. "The problem's not solving itself, it's just getting worse. You think the dark fairies might become a real problem for Wizard City if they get out far enough? It's possible; I mean who knows what those fairies are capable of?"

"Didn't you say you thought fairies weren't a threat?" asked Genevieve.

"I meant actual fairies, these ones are evil." They turned to face Ceren.

"You two can help me get to the bottom of this, right?" he asked.

"Of course, Ceren," said Genevieve.

"You know us," said Emily.

"Great," said Ceren. "Do you know of Lady Oriel, the Seraph?" They shook their heads. "Well, she might understand what happened to the Fairies. If we want some answers you should speak with her in the Hedge Maze at the end of Unicorn Way."

"Just what we need," said Genevieve sarcastically. "A maze; that shouldn't make things harder."

"Will our wands work in the maze?" asked Emily.

"I don't think you need them," said Ceren. "Lady Oriel probably wouldn't be hiding in the maze."

"We should go see her then," said Genevieve.

"Wait, look," Emily pointed out. Private Connelly was waving them down.

"Girls," he called. They went over to talk to him. "You got a minute?" They nodded. "I'm worried. I haven't seen my friend Private O'Ryan, in a while."

"Private O'Ryan," said Genevieve. "Where have I heard that name before?" Emily shrugged.

"He's a well-known guard," said Private Connelly. "We both grew up here, you see, and he just wanted to make sure the Skeletal Pirates hadn't gotten into his old house. He could be trapped in the house, but I can't leave my post. Please, can you find him and bring him back to safety?" Genevieve could see how much he cared about O'Ryan, she felt sympathy for him.

"We can do that," said Genevieve.

"Thank you so much," said Private Connelly.

"What about talking to Lady Oriel about the fairies?" questioned Emily.

"We can do that later, we have to help O'Ryan first. If you want, Em, you could go talk to Lady Oriel without me."

"Oh no," said Emily. "I can tell you want to meet her as much as I do, besides, O'Ryan's house is probably on the path to the hedge maze, so we can help him first."

"Thank you again," said Private Connelly.

"Don't mention it," said Genevieve. "Now let's go," she said to Emily.

Emily used her wand to give them a guide to Private O'Ryan's house, and then they followed it down Unicorn Way until they made it to his house, almost running into some evil fairies on the way. When they made it inside his house, they found that he had a spear pointed at the doorway. They raised their hands in surrender, and he lowered his spear.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" They explained to him that Private Connelly sent them because of his worry for his comrade and how he wanted to make sure he wasn't trapped, and if he was to get him out to safety.

"It's good to be back in my old house now that I've cleared it of Skeletal Pirates. Unfortunately, now there are too many outside. I'm stuck."

"Well," said Emily. "I've defeated Skeletal Pirates before, I can do it again."

"And this time, I will help you," said Genevieve.

"If you can defeat enough of those Skeletal Pirates, I can make a run for it. You'd be a life saver."

"Aw shucks," said Emily. "This is nothing."

"Let's go destroy some pirates, Em," said Genevieve enthusiastically. They headed outside to clear some more pirates.

They decided that they would each take on a section of the street. Genevieve took down skeletons with only her lightning blasts while the Skeletal Pirates kept throwing scarabs at her and even a few bats, which she did not know the name of but their bite still hurt a lot. She met up with her sister afterwards.

"Wow," said Emily. "They're a lot less skeletons now. Think Private O'Ryan can make a run for it?"

"Let's hope so," said Genevieve. They went inside to tell Private O'Ryan the good news.

"Thanks for clearing the way, girls. I should be able to make it back all right."

"Stay safe," said Emily. "There are still some Skeletons out there. Now we should get back to Private Connelly."

"Thanks for checking on me, tell Private Connelly I'm doing well."

"We will," said Genevieve. "Take care."

They ran back down Unicorn Way, back to Private Connelly. They found a chest on the way back, in it was eight gold coins that turned into lights and went inside their bags.

"I guess we keep our money in their too," said Emily.

When they got back they told him that Private O'Ryan was alright and should be back soon.

"Glad to hear O'Ryan is doing well." Some lights appeared and went into the girls' bags. The girls had to check that out later as well. "Say, can you check up on someone else for me?"

"Sure, who are they?" said Genevieve.

"Her name is Dorothy Gale," said Private Connelly.

"Dorothy Gale," repeated Emily. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"Well, the only Dorothy we know of is the one that went to Oz," said Genevieve.

"Well that's her," said Private Connelly.

"_The_ Dorothy," said both the girls.

"The one that slayed the wicked witch of the west?" asked Emily. Private Connelly nodded

"She's quite well known for that, but she wishes that everyone will just forget about that so people don't have to turn heads wherever she goes. She's quite found of her new life here, in fact she's going to your school here as a student of balance magic."

"So I'm guessing it'd be better if we didn't mention that stuff to her about her old life," questioned Genevieve.

"Yeah probably," said Private Connelly. "Anyway, I usually see Dorothy out shopping by now, but I fear she's too afraid to leave home. So, could you see if she's alright?"

"Sure," said Emily.

"Good," said Private Connelly. "She's just down the road a bit and she usually leaves her lights on. She doesn't like all the Lost Souls roaming around. Can't say that I blame her." So, using Emily's wand, they got an arrow guide directing them to where Dorothy lived. They were bustling with excitement with the fact that they were going to be meeting Dorothy.

"Who knew Dorothy would end being a wizard?" said Genevieve.

"Glinda did say she had magic inside of her, this is probably what she meant," said Emily. They ran into a chest that had fourteen pieces of gold inside it, and Genevieve caught some blue wisps to regain her mana. They eventually found the house with the lights on being in the turn-around.

They had to contain their excitement as they entered the house. When they did enter, they saw that she was wearing beige with red rims. It was an outfit with puffed sleeves, with a beige cape rimmed with red as well. She wore a beige hat rimmed with red and red boots. In her hand she had a black staff with three red rings, with the top looking like a golden hilt of a sword with a red intertwining figure eight and red sphere resting on top. She looked so different than the Dorothy Genevieve remembered her as, except for the brown hair, except it wasn't in pig tails.

"What are you two doing in here?" she asked in a high pitched, innocent voice.

"Hi Dorothy," said Genevieve, containing excitement. "Private Connelly was worried about you being too afraid to leave home."

"Oh hello!" said Dorothy suddenly. "You say Private Connelly was worried about me? He always does fret so. I'm alright, but I wish someone could do something about all those ghosts outside."

"Private Connelly and his guards are doing the best they can," said Emily.

"Oh," said Dorothy worriedly. "Sometimes I wish Auntie Em could join me here. I'd feel better with here around."

"You must be pretty homesick," said Genevieve.

"Well, I'm not in Kansas anymore." Genevieve saw that Emily was smiling. "Say, I was having some friends over for lunch, but they are running late. I fear for their sake with all these ghosts roaming around."

"Those ghosts are no problem, trust me," said Genevieve.

"Could you still check up on them? My two friends live on this street, down towards the park area. Look for the house with the light on in the window. You can't miss it."

"Sure thing Dorothy," said Emily. "We'll make sure your friends are alright."

"Thank you," said Dorothy. They headed out the door, figuring they had enough directions to lead them to Dorothy's friends' house. As they were getting there, Emily brought up a valid point.

"If Dorothy's real, then how many more fictional characters are real as well?"

"I don't know Em; maybe we're fictional."

"Hey, I see it; the house with the lights on!" Indeed, there was the house with the lights on. They ran around the edge of the turn-around and into the house. Once inside, they saw a dog man and a man made of turning cogs.

"What's with the sudden intrusion?" asked the dog man.

"Well," said Emily. "To keep things short, I'm Emily and this is my twin sister Genevieve and it's okay to call her Gen."

"Hello Emily, Gen," said the Dog man. "I'm Mr. Toto, and this is my friend Tin man."

"Nice to meet you," said the Tin man. Genevieve couldn't believe it! Toto was a Dog man? The Tin man was made of cogs? It was a lot for her to take in.

"Okay Tin man, Mr. Toto," said Genevieve. "Dorothy is wondering where you are and why you are late for lunch."

"Speaking of which," said Emily. "We need to pick up something after this." She was holding her stomach, for it was growling.

"What!?" exclaimed the Tin Man. "You say that Dorothy is looking for us? We were just about to be on our way."

"Oh, I told you we should have left earlier," nagged Mr. Toto. "Now we've gone and made her worry about us."

"I'm sorry, but I cannot find my oil can. You wouldn't want me seizing up on the way there."

"Oh dear, we always go through this. Can you return to Dorothy and tell her we'll be running late as usual?"

"Sure thing, we'll do," said Emily as they headed out the door to return to Dorothy's.

"It sure is strange knowing that Toto is a Dog man and the Tin man is not made of Tin," said Genevieve.

"Yeah, it is also strange knowing that they're here as well." They made it back to Dorothy's house, and once inside they told her that her friends were fine and just running late.

"They are safe and sound? It's good to know that they are just running late. Now I don't have to worry. I always fear a wicked witch might show up and whisk them back to her castle. This land is so strange. Not like back on the farm." Genevieve did not realize what Dorothy must have been going through after her adventure in Oz, and now being her in Wizard City. It must have been a lot to take in and go through, and Genevieve felt sympathy for her.

"But I do like it here," said Dorothy, trying to cheer them up. "Headmaster Ambrose is such a nice Wizard. And my new friends are nice too. I'd say that in all, this place is as fun as a barrel of flying monkeys!" Genevieve did not know how to take that, good or bad? Must have been something Dorothy usually said.

"Well, we have to go get our own lunch now," said Genevieve

"Maybe we can have lunch with her," suggested Emily.

"No," said Genevieve. "We need to get back to Private Connelly and tell him Dorothy's alright; if we're gone for too long he'll worry."

"Alright, nice meeting you," said Dorothy. "Would you say hello to Private Connelly for me?"

"We will," said Emily. On their way back, they had found another chest with fourteen gold coins in it, and Genevieve had refilled the rest of her magical energy by catching a blue wisp. They made it back to Private Connelly alright, and told him that Dorothy was fine.

"Glad to hear Dorothy is doing well!" Some lights appeared and went into their bags.

"Okay," said Genevieve. "Now that that's done we can get something to eat."

"Question is," said Emily. "Where will we get it?" Emily grabbed her stomach again, as it growled again. Genevieve looked around, there weren't much places to get a lunch in Unicorn Way.

"Well," said Private Connelly. "Considering that you've done so much for Unicorn Way already, it'd only be fair if I shared my lunch with you."

"Thank you Private Connelly," said both the girls.

"Don't worry; we don't need much," said Emily, "just a little something to keep us going."

So, after Private Connelly got someone to cover for him while he had his lunch break, he sat down with the girls and had lunch with them. Turns out, Unicorn way residents were big fans of salads and fruits, the girls couldn't complain however, because they couldn't find anything else.

They also took the time to see what stuff they got. From helping Dorothy out, they had both gotten a pair of ruby slippers, to protect them from death magic. They also had received a hat and outfit to help protect them from the magic within their own school; they were not exactly invincible from it.

After they were done eating, they continued on with what Ceren wanted them to do.

"Well I feel healthy," said Genevieve.

"Now that we're filled up," said Emily. "Let's go meet the Seraph, whatever that is."

As they were leaving to head down a street, Genevieve couldn't help but notice a pile of branches that omitted a type of weird mist. Going to see Lady Oriel was more important at that moment, so she pulled her attention away. As they headed down the street they had found another chest, this time with eleven coins.

"Why do you think we keep finding these?" asked Genevieve. "They keep appearing out of nowhere and we keep finding money in them."

"Well," said Emily. "It's either where the pirates are keeping their gold, or it's like when we get new clothes and it's the spiral's way of saying thank you."

"So you think they're gifts from the universe itself?"

"Hey, I'll take what I can. Besides, who will leave that little amount of money in a chest?"

"Good point," said Genevieve. "The money does go directly to us when we open it, maybe it does belong to us."

"There you go," said Emily.

They continued down the path until they reached the end of Unicorn Way. Along the way they had seen a lot of evil fairies. They worried about how far the corruption was going to go.

The hedge maze had a grand entrance way. In the yard was a statue of a unicorn, and the entrance had double doors, unlike any other door they had been through before.

"So, Lady Oriel the Seraph lives in here?" questioned Genevieve.

"I guess so," said Emily. "All Ceren told us is this is where we will find her."

"Maybe the maze won't be that complicated," reasoned Genevieve.

"Well," said Emily. "I really want to know what a Seraph is, so I guess it doesn't even matter." With that, they entered the Hedge maze.

* * *

"The maze isn't that big or complicated," said Genevieve.

"Now we know what a Seraph is," said Emily. "At least, I think we do."

"Well, we've never seen anything like her before, so I have to guess that's what a Seraph is."

In the center of the maze, which wasn't very big or complicated, was a really tall and beautiful lady with blonde hair and blue eyes. On her head she wore a golden circlet, and in her hand she held a sword. She wore a white gown, and was being suspended in the air by a pair of angel wings on her back. The girls were awestruck with her beauty and grace.

Flying around the maze were fairies that were blonde and wore yellow clothing; trailing behind them was dust of many colors. These had to be the fairies that weren't corrupted, the good fairies.

They approached Lady Oriel slowly, taking off their hats in respect.

"Hello miss," they both said timidly.

"You must be Wizard students," said Lady Oriel, in a calm voice. They nodded. "What may be your names?" she asked politely.

"Well," said Emily, timidly. "I'm Emily, and this is my twin sister Genevieve, yet some people call her Gen."

"It's nice to meet the both of you; what brings you here?" Genevieve was at a loss for words.

"We're here to talk…to help…corruption…fairies-"

"We're here about the corruption of the fairies," said Emily.

"Oh, praise the light! Someone has come at last! Something has been corrupting my fairies, and since you two have come in my hour of need, use these in future battles." With a wave of her sword, two golden spell cards appeared before them, each with a picture of a Seraph on them.

"What are these?" asked Genevieve. She wondered why they were golden. Lady Oriel looked confused for a moment, but then she smiled.

"You will learn soon enough," she kindly said. They slipped the cards in their bags. Genevieve had a feeling they would go directly to their spell books. "Thank you for coming at this dark time. If you are as brave as you look, I know you will help save my fairies."

"We'll try, miss," said Emily.

"I need you two to do something for me," said Lady Oriel.

"What is that miss?" asked Genevieve.

"I need you two to go out and defeat some of these evil Fairies that are swarming out there. Once you defeat them, collect the dust that they drop. With that I will be able to find out more on the Fairies' corruption."

"We can do that," said Emily confidently, but then she turned to her sister, and asked with a hint of doubt, "Am I right?"

Genevieve sighed. "Em, the Fairies are tougher than the skeletons. I only managed to take out two Fairies while you were taking out four skeletons. The only way I managed to make it through both of them was by catching wisps." Emily looked defeated, but Genevieve continued, "But if we work together, it should be no problem." Emily smiled.

"I know it is a dark task, but it must be done," said Lady Oriel.

"You can count on us," they both said.

"Take care, young wizards," said Lady Oriel. With that, the girls rushed out the door, to fight their next battle and complete their next task.

* * *

**How was that? I wanted to write more, but it was too long! I had to cut it off. I had longer author's notes but my computer acted funny. As for the story, don't worry about the small tidbits, I slowly not mention them, starting with the chests (until they find a silver one). Tell me what you think of my chapter in reviews and stay tuned for the next one!**


	5. Unicorn Way Pt 2

**This chapter has been updated from the previous work. After learning how the different schools cast spells, I tried to incorporate it like that. Enjoy reading the chapter.**

* * *

[1st person, Emily]

I have to say, I've never met a seraph before. Meeting one was amazing; with all that grace, elegance and majesty. I don't know if I was awed because of magic or complete respect for the lady. When Lady Oriel asked me to do something for her, I happily obliged.

All we had to do was fight off a few dark fairies, how hard could that be? My sister mentioned they were tougher than the skeletons I fought. That could be expected, seeing as the skeletons were just a bunch of animated bones and these guys must be stronger with magic than the skeletons were.

* * *

We headed out to the street to see the fairies swarming like a hive. I gulped nervously.

"So, how many of these dark fairies do you think we have to defeat?" I asked Gen nervously.

"Well," she said. "If we want to do these fairies a favor, I suggest we clear this section of the street."

"Right," I said, and then I straightened up. "Should be easy, I mean there aren't that many fairies."

We rushed on to the street to fight the fairies. Gen and I would usually team up against a couple fairies at a time. When it came to Gen who was casting Thundersnakes and small lightning strikes at them, the fairies threw apple bombs, flew right into her, and cast Bloodbats, Scarabs, and Firecats at her. As for me, who cast Firecats and small bursts of flame at them, they only cast Scarabs, Firecats and threw apple bombs at me. They were probably attacking Genevieve more because they fought her before and she was more of a threat than I was.

Every time we defeated a fairy and it exploded into dust, we gathered up their remains into a bag Lady Oriel had given us. After every fight, we would regain our health and mana by gathering wisps. After we were done clearing that section of the street, I received a frost touched cap and Gen received a Bloodbat treasure card, which I didn't know was a treasure card at the time. Apparently, treasure cards are special spells that you remain in your deck until you properly cast them once, and then they dissolve.

Of course, once we had cleared that section of the street, we were exhausted.

"These fairies just seem to keep on coming," panted Genevieve, as we rested on the sidewalk.

"Question is," I panted. "Where are they coming from?"

"Well, maybe Lady Oriel will know once she finds out what is corrupting them."

"We should head back before more dark fairies get here. I have to say, you weren't kidding when you said they were tough."

"Yeah, even with you helping me it was still a hassle. Hey look, there are some wisps." Some red and blue wisps were floating along the sidewalk, ready for us to catch them so they could restore our health and mana. We went, caught them and no longer felt so exhausted. After that, we headed back to the hedge maze.

* * *

Once inside the hedge maze, we headed straight to Lady Oriel.

"Lady Oriel, we're back," I cried as we approached her.

"You have returned with the Fairy Dust! Please give it to me so that I can investigate the reason for their corruption." We handed her the bag of fairy dust we collected. She took some of it out and examined it in her hand. After a little bit, she looked visibly shaken.

"They have been enchanted by something that is undead!"

"Undead!? Again!? What is it with everything being all undead around here?"

"Well," said Genevieve. "This is a place of life magic; maybe if they undeadify the place it will lose its morale."

"This does not bode well," said Lady Oriel, still shaken. "How has evil become so brazen in this place? These are dark times indeed." After she was done talking, we got some gifts in the form of boots. I got some seared shoes while Genevieve got some storm-weave boots.

"I think this explains why the dark fairies can't reach this place. They've been enchanted by something undead, so the undead magic cannot cross onto the sidewalk. We should be safe, unless someone finds a way across the barrier."

"So what if the fairies can't reach us," I said. "We have to stop them from being corrupted. We saw it ourselves out there, more and more just keep showing up. I don't even know how the fairies keep getting corrupted. Do you know what's corrupting them Lady Oriel?"

"I hear that someone has hung bone cages along the street. I fear these are being used to trap my fairies and corrupt them."

"I guessing if fairies stay too close to dead things long enough they become corrupted," guessed Genevieve.

"Or the cages have dark magic in them," I guessed.

"I wonder why we didn't notice them."  
"We were probably distracted with everything else we were doing," I answered nervously.

Okay, truth be told, I did maybe notice them out of the corner of my eye, and I may of saw tiny little fairies trapped inside. I knew it looked out of place and the fairies looked scared, but I thought they were captured just…cause, and I didn't know what would happen if I let them go. Now I felt a little guilty.

"How did the fairies even get trapped? Wouldn't they know to stay here in a time like this?"

Lady Oriel had a sad look on her face.

"My fairies don't like being cooped up. They started getting captured when the trouble first came to unicorn way. They didn't realize how dangerous it was for them yet, so they continued to fly freely through the streets, helping the students who were fighting off the danger here. When the dark fairies started to arrive, everyone was confused of why fairies had gone so dark. Some of my fairies went out to investigate, but they never returned the same. Now when the fairies go out to find their friends, I'm afraid they get caught as well."

"That's a sad story," said Genevieve.

"This dark fairy problem isn't helping the fairies," I said. "Every time a dark fairy is created we lose a good one. Soon there won't be any good fairies left. We need to stop this corruption!"

"Yes, please," said Lady Oriel. "You must free the captured fairies from those horrible bone cages before they become corrupted. Go quickly, my friends!" Genevieve and I smiled after hearing that; it's nice, being friends with a Seraph.

"Don't worry, Lady Oriel," said Genevieve. "We'll save them." With that, we rushed out once again to complete our task.

* * *

"Okay, Gen," I said once we were outside. "This will get done faster if we split up. I'll take the left side of the street and you can take the right. We'll meet up somewhere in the middle."

I wanted to free the fairies before they became corrupted.

"Alright," said Genevieve. "I'll see you when I see you." With that she rushed off to free the fairies, and I did the same. I rushed up to the first cage on my side of the street. I saw the scared little fairy on the inside.

"Help me," it said in a high voice.

"I'm really, really sorry I didn't let you out before, but don't worry, I will now." I opened the cage door, and the little fairy flew out, crying out a thank you as it flew back towards the hedge maze. I continued down the street, opening the bone cages and freeing the fairies. I continued doing this until I met up with Genevieve around the front of Unicorn way.

"I'm done opening all the cages on my side," I said, tuckered out from running and opening all the cages.

"Same with me," said Genevieve, just as tuckered out.

"We should head back then," I said, catching my breath.

"Right," said Genevieve. We just about to do that, but then I noticed something odd.

"Gen, I thought you said you emptied your cages." Genevieve turned around and let out a yelp. All the cages she had opened had fairies in them and were shut again. Genevieve turned back to face me, still panicked.

"I thought you said you emptied your cages."

"Gen, _you_ were supposed to open those cages."

"Turn around, Em!" I did an eye take, and turned around slowly, dreading what I would see behind me. When I finished turning around I let out a bigger yelp than Genevieve. My cages were just as if I had never touched them as well.

"How could they have been filled so fast?"

"I don't know," said Genevieve. "We'll have to open them again."

"And if they get filled again?" Genevieve pondered my question for a moment.

"You'll just have to escort the fairies back, and make sure they don't get captured again."

"Alright," I sighed. "You do your side, and I'll do mine." With that, we went to open the cages again. I hurried to the last one I had opened.

"Help me," said the fairy in a high pitched voice.

"How'd you get captured again?" I said as I started opening the door.

"It sucked me in," said the fairy.

"Well than," I said opening the door. "We can't leave this cage here." I flicked my wand at the cage, and a burst of fire engulfed the cage until it fell and shattered on the ground as my embers ate away at it.

"Thank you," said the fairy. Just before it flew away, I stopped it.

"I think I should escort you back, so you don't fly into any more trouble."

"Okay than," said the fairy. "Lead the way." I continued down the street, freeing trapped fairies and destroying cages. The fairies were happy to be reunited with each other and also happy for the fact that they didn't get corrupted. As I made it back to the hedge maze, I had a giant swarm of fairies behind me, almost enough to match the dark fairies that were on the street. I also noticed there a lot less dark fairies than before. When I made it back to the entrance to the hedge maze, I saw Genevieve had a swarm of fairies behind her as well.

"So, did everything go alright on your end?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I had to double back once to destroy some extra cages; nice idea by the way."

"Thanks," I replied.

"Now, did _you_ run into any trouble at all?"

"Almost did, but the monsters couldn't get past the sidewalk."

"They sure did try though."

"Yeah, they're not that happy with us doing this." Suddenly, a thought occurred to me.

"Hey Gen," I said.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Since the bone cages were on the sidewalk, you think the undead thing that's making them is already on the sidewalk?" Genevieve's eyes widened.

"This doesn't bode well."

"You think I'm right?"

"Well, I'm hoping you're wrong, but I have a lot of doubt."

"We should head inside," I said, gesturing to the doors. The fairies that fallowed us were so excited to have passed the danger they had headed inside as we were talking. I opened the doors so we could go tell Lady Oriel of what we had accomplished.

* * *

As we entered the maze we saw a lot more fairies flying around than before, and when we came inside, they turned, saw us and started applauding. I couldn't help but blush. We moved forward to approach Lady Oriel, but we stopped when we heard tiny voices calling out our names. We were approached by two fairies.

"Thank you for helping out the fairies," said the first one. "They did not mean to be evil, but the corruption made them do bad things."

"Wait, you're saying the evil fairies are back too?" I asked. The fairies nodded. "But how?" Genevieve perked up.

"It must have been the destruction of the cages that made them that turned them back. You turned the fairies back, Em."

"You did too," I said sheepishly.

"It was _your_ idea; you did it first." Genevieve never gave herself that much credit. She picked up on my idea without me having to tell her, or maybe that's just because we're twins.

"Now there is hope again," said the second fairy. "And the fairies will be able to bring magic and cheer to wizard city once more. Thank you, Emily."

"And thank you, Genevieve," said the first fairy, "For all you two have done for us." With that, the fairies flew around us and we were surrounded by a green light. I wasn't exactly sure what had happened just then, but I felt really good. I couldn't stop smiling as we approached Lady Oriel.

"Lady Oriel," I said as we approached. "We've returned."

"We thank you, young wizards. The freed fairies have already told me of your heroism. Your deeds will be remembered here on unicorn way. And to show my appreciation, here are some healing spells. Remember to add them to your decks so they will aid you in future battles." Lady Oriel then waved her sword and two green cards floated down to us. We grabbed them. On the cards, they were both labeled pixie.

"Thank you," said Genevieve, as we put the cards in our bags. Lady Oriel then became serious.

"We must now find out who is behind the corruption."

"Lady Oriel," I said, raising my hand slightly.

"Yes," she replied.

"I have a theory of the undead being was able to get to your fairies, and that's that they are on the sidewalk, past the barrier."

"That does not bode well," said Lady Oriel, shaken. "An undead being walking where people feel they are safe…it is very troublesome."

"Yeah," said Genevieve. "But what undead being was trapping the fairies."

"My fairies whispered of a monster whose bones made a clacking sound as it came for them." I immediately thought 'skeleton,' seeing as I thought them before and knew what she was talking about. Of course, I was also thinking of the factor of maybe this wasn't an ordinary skeletal pirate I was facing. What if it was a skeleton monster? Of course, skeleton monsters wouldn't be smart enough to build bone cages and capture fairies and plan that far. It was probably just a stronger, smarter skeleton; because all the skeletons I faced already were dumb.

"Ceren Nightchant knows Unicorn way. He will know if there is a sinister skeleton that now haunts my street."

"Of course," I said, coming to realization. "He should be the expert of this place and what goes on here because he spends a lot of time here."

"Let's just hope he knows who it is and it's not just some new threat," said Genevieve.

"Okay, we'll go see what he knows. Take care, Lady Oriel," I called as we left.

"You two take care as well," said Lady Oriel. Once we were outside, we made sure our new healing spells were a part of our decks, and then we headed off to go talk to Ceren.

* * *

We rushed down the street, and relished at the fact that there were pretty much no more dark fairies. We ran until we made it back to the beginning of Unicorn Way.

"Ceren," panted Genevieve. "We're back."

"How'd it go," he asked. We explained to him what had happened.

"Lady Oriel sent you to investigate the corruption of the fairies? I'll gladly tell you what I know." We leant in to take in what he was going to say. "When the dark fairies began to show up, I had suspected Lady Blackhope. But even she has never tried to enchant fairies before." Lady Blackhope? Hmm, I had a feeling we would have to deal with her later. "Then the fairies gave report of a skeleton? Of course! Who else could it be but Rattlebones!"

"Who's Rattlebones?" I asked.

"He's a really tough skeleton general. He's been a little cranky ever since he became what he is."

"Still," said Genevieve. "It doesn't explain why he's doing it. 'Just cause' seems a little strange."

It did seem a little strange. The skeleton could be doing it because he's been extra cranky lately and he's doing it just to ruin everyone's lives a little bit more; but it doesn't explain all the other undead that have been showing up.

"Who knows why he's doing it," said Ceren. "Of course he can't be doing it on his own, that's for sure." I immediately thought back to this mourning. "Since I grew up here, I know a lot. I do not yet know what dark master has aided him, but Rattlebones has taken over my old friend Delia's tower."

"Sorry about that," I said.

"Don't be," said Ceren. "She's staying with friends until he's properly evicted."

"Well," said Genevieve. "I guess we should go inform him he's no longer welcome here."

"Yes, please do," said Ceren. "Find him in the tower and stop him from making any more cages. Please…do what you can to save the fairies."

"Don't worry, Ceren," I assured him. "We'll go stop him. When we fight together, nothing stands against us."

"Let's go," said Genevieve running off.

"Wait Gen!" I cried. She abruptly stopped

"What?" She called back.

"We don't know where this tower is." Genevieve gave herself a face-palm.

"Well, Em, do your thing." I waved my wand and said, "Delia's tower." An arrow appeared in my ruby along with the number of steps it would take to get there.

"It's the tower by the skeletons."

"In retrospect, it should have been obvious."

"Alright, _now_ let's go." With that, we rushed off to Delia's tower to confront Rattlebones.

* * *

We stood outside Delia's tower. It didn't look that ominous on the outside, but we knew an undead skeleton lurked on the inside. We figured Rattlebones wouldn't be one to stop what he was doing without a fight.

"Ready to go fight a skeleton, Em?" asked Genevieve. Who was she kidding? Skeletons were the first thing I fought on this street; this was my area of expertise.

"As ready as I'll ever be." So, we entered the tower. As we entered, we heard a high pitched voice call out, "Who goes there?" Surely that can't be Rattlebones? I imagined his voice more menacing. Fully coming into the tower, I saw that there was a dark fairy with Rattlebones. That made more sense; he must have been making more.

"Who do we have here?" asked the skeleton, who was obviously Rattlebones, with his gravelly voice (_that_'s more like it). "You must be the two wizards dispelling all the undead, freeing all the fairies and _undoing_ all of my work!"

"Yeah, that's us," said Genevieve.

"You cannot stop us, Wizards! The corruption of the fairies is just the beginning of Malistere's plans."

"Malistere!" My sister and I both cried. My feeling from before had been correct, Malistere _was_ involved in this.

"Yes," said Rattlebones. "Soon, Wizard City will fall and there isn't anything anybody can do about it. Mwahahahaha!" So, Malistere wanted to bring Wizard City to its knees, starting by taking out Unicorn way. Well, I guess if you take out Unicorn way, Wizard city would lose its base ground for healing magic, and then everything would get more dangerous, because there would be no healing magic! Of course, that still left the question of why Malistere wanted to take out Wizard City.

"Well," said Genevieve. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Rattle-britches, but my sister and I are here to kick your butt and stop your reign of mayhem."

"We'll see about that," said Rattlebones.

"Alright, Em," said Gen to me. "We'll just do what we're good at: I'll take out the fairy, and you can take out old ratty."

"Right," I quickly responded.

After breaking out of our little huddle, we rushed forward. The dueling circle formed. I took the position of the first circle, with the symbol of the sun, while Genevieve took the position of the second circle, with the symbol of the eye. Rattlebones took my opposite, the circle with the symbol of the dagger, while the fairy took the opposite circle of Genevieve, the circle with the symbol of the key.

We searched through our decks for the spells we wanted to use for the first round. I picked something simple. It was my move first. I threw out my card, and made a symbol of a flame as a burst of fire came from my wand and struck Rattlebones in the face. Genevieve did something similar except she made a symbol of a storm cloud and a burst of lightning struck the fairy, slightly electrocuting it.

Rattlebones laughed, as did the fairy.

"It's surprising of how you were defeating so many before," said Rattlebones.

"Is that really the best you can do?" snarked the Fairy. "It's pathetic." They continued to laugh.

I really wanted to attack them right then, but I knew it wasn't my turn. Meanwhile, looking at Genevieve, I saw her desperately trying to get a spell out. It was their turn. I'm not sure what Rattlebones hit me with, but I think it was something to make the next death spell hurt more. The fairy, through complicated motions, cast a scarab at Genevieve.

Searching through my deck again, I pulled out the first card I could find. Something came over me; it was like something ignited inside of me. I threw out my card, made a symbol of flame with my wand and cried, "_From my words I doth ignite, a cat to bring within my sight, its foes and mine: entertwined; the battle's bought now burn through this fight_!" in a fit of rage. A firecat appeared, and rushed at Rattlebones, causing him to collapse and break, but not like the last ones I thought.

"Em," said Gen, impressed. "What was that? You just spouted poetry of some sort, and you didn't even have to say what the spell was."

"I don't know, something came over me; it just felt right."

"Well then, I guess that this is right too," she said smugly.

"What?" Genevieve threw her card forward, and made a symbol of a storm cloud all while saying, "Boom and quake, lightning shake, I call forth the thundersnake!"

A thundersnake appeared and breathed lightning at the fairy and the fairy exploded into dust. Genevieve blew on her wand like she was blowing smoke off of it.

"Impressive," I said, "albeit, the battle was little easy, not very challenging."

"Meh, works for me," said Genevieve. "I did tell old ratty that we would kick his butt."

The duel circle dispersed, and lights floated up from the remains and floated into each of our bags. We then saw our wands were glowing, which meant we had messages. Genevieve checked hers first. A small image of a zebra wearing a safari outfit appeared.

"I'm Sir Reginald Baxby; I'm a big game hunter" said the zebra. He sounded Australian, which was ironic, considering what he looked like. "I heard that you two went off to fight a big tough monster."

"Yeah," said Genevieve. "We just defeated him."

"Well done," said Reginald. "You should know that the really tough monster can drop unique treasure when you fight'em, so you might want to fight'em multiple times to see what you can get."

"You mean Rattlebones will just come back?" I asked, exasperated. "We defeated him for nothing?"

"Not for nothing, mate; it will take him some time to get back. Of course, he is kind of already dead; you can't get rid of him just like that, but now we know who to keep in check. Thanks again, girls." With that, he disappeared. I then decided to check my message. It was Mr. Lincoln.

"Hello again, girls," said Mr. Lincoln.

"Hello Mr. Lincoln," we said.

"I think I should mention reagents, you might come across many in your travels. Reagents can be used in crafting recipes, and you can find them all over the spiral. There's a list in your spellbooks of what you'll be able to find in each world. When you come across reagents, you can keep them in your spellbooks under the reagent tab." With that he disappeared. We took a look in our spellbooks.

"It says in here that bones can be reagents," I told Genevieve.

"You want to take Ratty's old bones?" asked Genevieve, a little disgusted.

"Just one," I informed her. "I don't need him reforming around me and getting revenge." I went over to the bone pile and plucked out one of his bones. It turned into a ball of light and went inside my spellbook. We also looked under the clothing tab and found out that we did have new clothes. Genevieve had got a new hat called the Rattlebones cowl which would protect her from death spells, and I got some new boots called the slippers of rites which would make me a little more durable to attack. We couldn't wear these until we were more experienced with magic.

Surprisingly, I was a little less patient than Genevieve; she was willing wait for the clothes, meanwhile I wasn't. I figured I didn't need the slippers of rites, and if I couldn't them at that moment, then I wouldn't keep them. Maybe it's the fact I'm not very passionate about clothes that much, even if they will help my battle strategy. I decided I wouldn't keep them. I took out the boots from my spellbook, and whacked them with my wand, causing them to be enveloped in a ball of flame, while Genevieve looked at them with wide eyes.

"You know, you could've given them to-" started Genevieve.

"No," I said bluntly.

"You didn't let me finish."

"Whenever I see someone else with something that used to belong to me, even if I gave it away, I get jealous."

"You gave me your ring," Genevieve defended.

"That was a one-time thing," I said. "I don't think I'll do it again."

"So you'll destroy everything you don't want in a ball of fire?" said Genevieve blankly.

"Yes, or I'll sell it."

"We should get back and inform Ceren," said Genevieve.

"Right," I said, happy to change the subject.

We made it outside the tower, and I felt that the battle was very anti-climactic, which Genevieve was okay with. Genevieve probably did not want too much danger, and I'm thinking two things: on one hand, I'm thinking '_Okay, that's fine_,' and other hand I'm thinking, '_What's her problem_?'

When we were outside, Genevieve went looking for wisps because she was attacked the most. While she did find enough wisps to bring her back to health, she also found some Mistwood, saying _that_ was a better reagent than bones. Of course, I had to agree with her; dead things still creeped me out.

We made our way back to Ceren, and along the way we had found wisps to bring us back to our full strength. When we got back to Ceren we felt good as new.

"Hey Ceren," said Genevieve. "We're back."

"We defeated Rattlebones," I informed.

"He won't be causing any more trouble, we shown him not to mess with us," said Genevieve. Ceren got huge grin. "You did it! Now the Fairies will sing again! You bested that wretched skeleton Rattlebones!" Okay, that seemed a little…okay. He seemed really happy, but then he grew a more serious tone. "I wish that was the end of our troubles in Wizard City, but I'm afraid a more sinister evil is still out there." I kind of figured that, this seemed way too anti-climactic.

"Well," said Genevieve. "Rattlebones did say this was just the beginning." She had a look that said she wasn't looking forward to what was coming. Aww and she was just so confident before.

At that moment, we had received some balls of light that floated into our bags; probably the streets way of giving us gifts. We looked inside our spellbooks; we had both gotten some new boots, a new wand, and a broom. I thought the broom was pretty cool, but then I found out we couldn't go very high, due to flight regulations, so we were more like hovering above the ground; we also only got to keep the broom for a day, so that excitement would end fast. In the end, Genevieve and I decided we would not be using the brooms, but we were keeping our boots and our wands. The wands gave us more spells to use when dueling that weren't from our school, which was cool, so we were definitely keeping my branded wand and her charged wand. The boots put a little more punch into the spells related to our school of magic, so we were keeping my soot stained boots and her canvas covers. Of course, my clothes were a little pink, maybe I could get that fixed later to make them red.

Once we were done looking at our new clothes, Ceren grabbed our attention once more.

"Thanks to you, Emily and Genevieve, Unicorn Way is in less danger than it was. But we are still not out of the dark woods yet. You two should go report our progress to Headmaster Ambrose. The news about Rattlebones may help him determine what doom has come to Wizard City." Genevieve and I already knew what doom had come to Wizard City, and his name was Malistere. It was a good thing we didn't tell Ceren about him; it might just freak him out to know that it's him.

* * *

As we were leaving Unicorn Way, we started talking about what we had accomplished.

"Well," I said. "We just saved a street of life magic from being overrun by the undead and dark fairies."

"Well, it is a little impressive," said Genevieve. "The villain's plan and how we were able to stop them." That was when I realized something.

"Hey Gen, we made life magic out there."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we drove the undead away, and to do that, you need life magic."

"Huh, I guess storm and fire is the key to driving away the undead."

"To think, all the things we've done, everything we've accomplished and uncovered…and it's only three in the afternoon!"

* * *

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	6. Tour day

**This chapter has been updated from previous. The fallout of Unicorn way! Enjoy!**

* * *

[1st person, Genevieve]

I feel like I have to do a recap here: Emily and I just saved a bunch of fairies from an evil skeleton, whom was turning them into dark fairies, all with Em's fire magic and my storm magic, and reset the proper balance to a street for life magic. To top all of that off, my sister and I seemed to be wrapped up in trying to prevent this evil plot that will make this city fall to dark forces. It's hard for me to believe too; of course I was there, so I have no choice but to believe it. Still, I keep thinking that anytime now I'll wake up and find this is all something I conjured in my mind. Of course it's not just me talking; I bet anybody would do a mental double take.

That's not all on my plate; Emily believes we created life magic out while we were fighting old Ratts even though I didn't see any. She says it's because we could dispel the dead, but we could do that without each other. I guess that was just a metaphor. The real big question on my mind, besides the whole Malistere thing, I guess that's important too, its how did Emily know what was the right way to perform her magic. How'd I figure it out? It felt right, so I guess it was. Why was Emily the one to figure it out first? Maybe I'll figure it out later.

* * *

These thoughts were going through my head as we were going down the tunnel that led back to the commons. At the end of the tunnel we ran into a gate of wrought iron bars; Private Stilson must have closed it after we went through to keep it closed off to everyone else. I wondered if he'd open it now that the street is less of a danger; maybe, maybe not.

"Private Stilson, we're back, could you let us out please?" I asked with a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, sorry," said Private Stilson. "I just had to make sure no one else entered." Private Stilson pulled a lever and the gates opened up.

"So, how'd everything go on Unicorn way?" he asked as we exited the tunnel.

"Pretty well," said Emily. "The ghosts weren't that hard to beat and we solved the dark fairy problem."

"Yeah, the streets are safer now," I told him.

"Ah," said Private Stilson. "I guess I'll leave the gate open then, but I'll still stand guard in case anything undesirable tries to make its way through."

"That's fine with us," said Emily. "Right now we have to go tell Professor Ambrose about everything that happened."

"Oh, okay, well good luck you two."

"To you as well," I called back as we ran to the headmaster's office.

* * *

Professor Ambrose's office was emptier when we came inside; I wondered why that was. Professor Ambrose was talking to a boy; I wondered if he was ever not talking to someone. With him obviously not noticing we had entered the room, we ran up to talk to him.

"Professor Ambrose," Emily said to get his attention. Ambrose quickly finished his conversation with the boy and turned to us, sending the boy on his way.

"Ah girls, you're back. Congratulations, I heard that you have found a solution to the fairy corruption."

"How'd you hear that?" I asked. "We have literally just finished that a few moments ago."

"You'd be surprised to find out that news travels fast around these parts. Let's just say that as soon as you went to go fight Rattlebones, Ceren informed the life school, and they informed me, and now that you're back I assumed you have succeeded in that task."

"Yes, we did," said Emily. "It was awesome if not anti-climactic, and I have one Rattlebones bones." Emily pulled the bone from her bag as if it was a forever bag. She certainly was getting a knack of this magic thing. "It should slow down his reforming process; maybe Delia could move back into her tower."

"Maybe, yes maybe," said Professor Ambrose. "Unfortunately, Wizard city is not out of peril just yet. All is at risk." That reminded me of what Rattlebones had said to us.

"I think we know what you mean," I told him.  
"You do?" questioned Ambrose. We went on to tell him what Rattlebones told us.

"Well," said Emily. "When we were confronting Rattlebones, he said that corrupting the fairies was Malistere's idea. I'm pretty sure he brought the undead to Unicorn way as well."

"Ratts also said it was just the beginning of Malistere's plans," I continued. "He said and I quote: 'Soon wizard will fall and there isn't anything anybody can do about it; MWAHAHAHAHA!'"

Ambrose regarded our words.

"So, Malistere has designs of bringing Wizard City to its knees? This does not bode well. We still need to be on guard lest his evil plans succeed. Thank you for all you have done, girls. As a token of my gratitude, and the gratitude of the life school, you can have these potion flasks."

"Cool, there's already a potion in there," said Emily.

"Yeah and the potion is purple," I said, admiring that it matched my outfit.

"In there are healing potions," explained Ambrose. "They can be used to replenish your health; of course it will only work if you down the entire contents of the flask." Emily examined her flask some more.

"How come I feel like we're going to be chugging these?"

"You should always have one on you, but don't worry if you run out, you can always get more from the one who makes the potions, Hilda Brewer, in the fairegrounds. Potions only cost 100 gold coins a bottle."

"100 coins!" I exclaimed, almost dropping my flask.

"Potions are not easy to make, Genevieve," said Ambrose. "You might be given more flasks overtime, so you won't have to worry about constantly needing to get one."

"That's a relief," said Emily. "Thanks for the flasks professor." We put our flasks in our bag next to our orbs that told us how much health and mana we needed. Some lights appeared and flew into our bags and we felt ourselves entering a new level. Just then we had received some messages on our wands.

"These are probably telling us what the lights were," I said.

"Or they could be about something else, just as important, like us gaining a level," said Emily.

"You better answer them," said Ambrose. Emily waved her wand, and a small image of Mr. Lincoln appeared before us.

"Congratulations!" he said. "You two have just earned your first badges! Each badge you earn will give you a title that you can proudly display below your name tag."

"Name tag?" I questioned. "We don't have name tags."

"All new students get name tags at the beginning of the year," he stated.

"So, if we're not wearing name tags, could we still show off our badges?" Emily never really was one for decorations.

"They can only be displayed with your name tag; you can still talk about it though. Of course, people will only truly know you have one if they can see it."

"What if we have multiple badges and don't want to wear them all at once?" I asked.

"You really shouldn't," said Mr. Lincoln. "It's distracting and heavy, but you can always pick what medal to wear from where they're stored in your spell book."

"And where would that be?" asked Emily.

"Your character page," said Mr. Lincoln simply.

"Our character page?" I asked. That didn't make sense to me.

"Your character page is the page in your book that knows everything about yourself. It knows how far you are in magic, what type of wizard you are, how far it will be before you advance, how well you are, and all the important things about yourself that you might not know about. That's where you can find your badges and pick which one you want to display. Be proud of your accomplishment, of course future badges will not be so easy to obtain as the one you have gotten. Good luck in the tougher challenges." With that, he disappeared. We let his message sink in for a moment.

"I wonder what badges we got?" questioned Emily.

"Let's check." We pulled out our spell books, enlarged them and opened them to the tab that looked to be the character page.

"Here it is," said Emily. "Hero of Unicorn way. Huh, that's nice."

"I got one too," I said showing her my book.

"Rightly so," said Ambrose. "You two deserve them."

"Let's check our other messages," said Emily.

"I'll go first," I said. I waved my wand, and in front of me appeared the image of a little frog-man.

"Oh, I am so excited to be talking to you! I heard you were going to be one of my new storm students and I also heard of how you're the hero of unicorn way!"

"Wait, did I hear you correctly? Did you say that I'm going to be one of _your_ storm students?"

The frog nodded excitedly.

"Yep, _I'm_ going be _your_ teacher for storm magic. This is just excellent, young wizard! You haven't even been to class yet and yet you've already exceeded the rest of your classmates and furthered your understanding of the art of storms. You've reached the level to be an apprentice and surpassed all the novice levels!"

"I have!"

"Yes!" I was still getting over the shock and utter embarrassment of going to have a _frog_ for my teacher. I realized I probably didn't reach this accomplishment on my own.

"Well, my sister did help me. She made me realize I was doing the spells wrong." The frog jumped with excitement.

"Thank you, little miss." He could barely contain his glee. "Come see me when you get the chance, I have something for you!" Just then he vanished. The shock settled back in. I was getting a _frog_ for my teacher.

"What's your message?" I asked Emily.

"I'll check." She waved her wand. An image of a tall lady in a red dress, with candle-like hair and pointy ears.

"I hear you're the hero of Unicorn way," said the lady with a calm voice.

"Y-yeah," said Emily. "I am." The lady was a little intimidating, and Emily had to talk to her.

"Yes, that is very nice. You also seem to be one of my new students."

"You're my new teacher?" said Emily with shock and awe. I'm not sure how Emily felt about this new teacher.

"Yes, and I have to say I'm proud to be so, you've already shown you have the spark of pyromancer potential." Emily was glowing with pride from hearing that. I think Emily liked this teacher.

"It also seems that you have surpassed everyone in your class, being suitable to be an apprentice."

"I-I have."

"Yes," said her teacher coolly. Emily looked at me for brief moment.

"I have my sister to thank for that," said Emily. "She helped me beat those monsters and gain that experience."

"Indeed, your sister did have a big part in you moving forward." She turned to me. "I thank you for that." She turned back to Emily. "Excellent job. You have reached a new level of achievement. Come see me as soon as you can, I have a new spell for you." The lady vanished. This was just great; Emily gets a beautiful lady and I get a frog. Why couldn't I get a person too?

Ambrose regarded us again.

"Again, I apologize for all this excitement, girls. There are forces at work making things…disorderly." That distracted my mind for a moment when I sympathized for him. Things must have been very stressful, trying to run a school and stop an evil wizard at the same time. I could imagine how Dumbledore must have felt. Ambrose cleared his throat.

"Welcome, now, to the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts, Emily and Genevieve. Now, on to your enrollment." I felt good. By the looks of things, so did Emily. I was finally apart of a magic school. Ambrose continued. "There are seven magic instructors here in Ravenwood. You should visit each of them to get to know them better."

"We will," I said. I then remembered my teacher was a frog and gave a little frown.

"If you can't find the Ravenwood tunnel, you can use your compass or your wands. The main school houses are circling the Great Tree, Bartleby. You should come see me as soon as you are done." Hearing the name Bartleby and the fact he was the great tree seemed to click something in my memory. He was the one who told me about the wisps! After that I was sure he was going to be kind.

"We have a compass?" questioned Emily. She reached in her bag and pulled out a compass. This was a different sort of compass for instead of just showing north, south, east and west, it also displayed the name of the location in each direction. Gamma's tower was apparently to our east, while the commons were to our south.

"Nifty," I said as Emily put away her compass.

"Okay, Professor, we'll get right on that," said Emily. Then she started to drag me out the door.

* * *

Once outside, we decided to use our wands to find Ravenwood. I used my wand to create arrows on the ground to show us the way to Ravenwood, while Emily made and arrow to direct her inside her wand. Along the way, we passed a girl who looked like she needed help. I figured it was best to maybe try to help her later, seeing as we didn't really know the school yet.

We went through the Ravenwood tunnel, following my arrows. Once we made it through, I saw that my arrows were leading us in every direction. That was probably because I told them to the schools of Ravenwood. Ravenwood had looked amazing. Bartleby was in the center of everything; I had no idea he was that big; of course, they don't call him the Great Tree for nothing. Surrounding him were indeed the schools that had their own symbols, but many different trees. On the road right outside the tunnel were all the symbols of the schools in a circle. We looked back and saw two great towers. I was a little confused of what they were for until I heard a certain someone behind me.

"Hello." The voice was so close I jumped, as did Emily. We turned around and saw a boy who wore a hood.

"**Don't** scare us like that," I said sternly.

"Sorry," said the boy. "I'm Simeon Firemane."

"Firemane?" said Emily with curiosity.

"Yeah, I'm a pyromancer."

"Me too!" said Emily with excitement.

"Yeah, except you're new students and I'm not new here. We won't have classes together I'm afraid."

"How did you know we were new students?" I asked warily.

"The fact you were taking in your surroundings sort of hints it."

"Okay, so what did you want to tell us?"

"Well, you see, I'm head of the dorms, so if you're curious, your dorm is in that tower." He pointed to the tower on our right. "The headmaster said you'd like a room together, it's already arranged."

"What floor is it on?" asked Emily.

"Does it matter?" asked Simeon.

"It does if we have a problem climbing multiple flights of stairs every day," I said. Simeon laughed. "What did I say?"

"You think there's stairs?" he asked while chuckling.

"You mean there isn't?" asked Emily, while she was grinning.

"No; you open the door you go straight to your room." I should have figured that. I mean, this is a magic place.

"Anything else you want to mention Simeon that we should probably know?" I asked with annoyance.

"Yeah," said Simeon, calming down. "Pets are allowed, but you can only have a certain amount of items in your room at a time. Once you get high enough experience with magic you can have your own castle. If you ever do own a castle, tell me when you're ready to move out." Simeon walked away after he said that.

"Again, I say why would we want a castle? It'd just a whole bunch of room we don't know what to do with."

"You never know," said Emily. "We could get a lot of stuff here."

"I doubt it; let's just take a tour of Ravenwood. Where should we go first?"

"Well, my arrow in my wand is pointing right in front of us, so how about there?" Emily pointed to a dog-man beside some suitcases.

"I'm not sure," I said. He could have just been passing through.

"We should see what he's about," said Emily walking towards him. I followed so we would stay together. As we approached him, Emily introduced us.

"Hi, we're new students, and I thought we could check to see what you're about here."

"Jolly good to meet you, new students. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Arthur Wethersfield. I am originally from Marleybone, which is a much different world than this."

"I can imagine that," I said. I had just learned the dog man was British and from a different world.

"Nice to meet you Arthur," said Emily. "I'm Emily, and this is my sister Genevieve, but everyone just calls her Gen."

"Those are lovely names, Emily, Genevieve. Let you tell me a bit about my experience."

"Proceed," I ushered.

"Well, I know I may not look like much of a magic teacher-"

"You're a magic teacher? Should have figured that," said Emily.

"Yes, can I continue?" asked Arthur.

"Sorry," said Emily.

"So, anyway, I know I may not look like much, but as a lad I was always interested in magic, but they don't practice magic in Marleybone. So, when I got older, I spent many years studying here in Ravenwood."

"So let me get this straight, you don't have to be born with magic to learn it? Anyone can learn it?" I asked.

"Of course," said Arthur. "Now where was I, oh yes, for the past ten years I've been studying in Krokotopia. I came back to teach students a form of magic called 'Sorcery' which deals with the Balance of All Things."

"Oh so that's what sorcery was about," I said. I was always curious about the different types of magic.

"Yes, it is more advanced than the other schools and harder to master, but its power is unbelievable!"

"It must be something spectacular," said Emily with awe.

"Come by later if you want to learn more," Arthur told her. "Cheers!" We walked away from him.

"That was interesting," I said. "You seemed intrigued."

"I was," said Emily.

"Yeah, but you should remember that that's not your class."

"Yeah, I know," said Emily glumly. "It didn't seem very big."

"It's probably one of those newer classes."

"Let's just finish the tour," said Emily. As she said that, we were coming up to a purple building with a symbol of a storm cloud. "Hey, this looks like your school. Let's go in and talk to your teacher."

"Nope," I said, grabbing her arm and dragging her farther down the path.

"Why not?"

"I just think maybe we should go to yours first, I mean ironically fire magic is pretty cool."

"So is storm," she said yanking herself away.

"Come on, Em, work with me," I pleaded.

"Why don't you-hey what's that?" Emily seemed to notice some floating rubble by her school. She walked towards the floating rubble and I followed her. When we got there I couldn't believe my eyes; there was huge chasm that took a chunk out of the pathway. There was a student wearing all black, with black hair, black jester hat and a staff with a red orb on it, standing by the chasm.

"Hey," I said approaching him. "It looks like you've been here a while, what's with the chasm?"

"Oh, this chasm?"

"You see any other chasm nearby?"

"Well, this gaping chasm is all that's left of the death school after _Malistere_ tore it from Ravenwood."

"Malistere!" said Emily.

"Tore it from Ravenwood!" I cried.

"Uh huh, I guess he wasn't a fan of someone else teaching his classes."

"He used to be a teacher here?" questioned Emily.

"Uh huh; I'm guessing from the fact you didn't know what this chasm was about and you didn't know Malistere was a teacher, that you two are new students here."

"Yep," said Emily.

"Oh, okay, I'm Malorn Ashthorn. I don't mean to boast, but I used to be Malistere's top students. Now I'm about all that's left, so I try to teach the new students."

"That's nice of you," I said.

"Yeah I know," said Malorn. "So, if you want, I can teach you some Death spells, or 'Necromancy.' If you're up for it, stop by any time." We started walking away.

"He seemed nice," I said.

"Yeah," said Emily. "I guess not all necromancers are cold and distant."

"Yeah," I said. My eyes drifted to a red building with a flame symbol. "Hey, here's your school, let's check it out!"

"Fine," Emily huffed. "If you're going to be difficult, we'll go to mine first."

* * *

When we entered the building, we saw the walls were covered in red wall paper with little flame symbols, and there was red runner red down the middle of the room. At the front of the class were two chalkboards, a desk and a couple torches. On the right chalkboard was a diagram for how to probably cast a fire sword, and on the left chalkboard was a piece of chalk magically writing the teacher's name (Ms. Dalia Falmea) and the lessons for the first class, being the casting of a fire sword and a fire elf. When we went farther into the room, I noticed there were scorch marks on the floor. There was also a brazier at the front with some sort of glowing liquid in it. At the front of the class was the lady from Emily's message. She must have been Ms. Falmea.

"Well, well, well," said Ms. Falmea. "Here comes one of my new students, and her sister."

"Hello Ms. Falmea," said Emily. "I'm glad to finally know your name. I'm Emily and this is Genevieve, Gen for short."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. Welcome to the School of Fire, Emily. You called me Ms. Falmea, but I also can be known as Madame Falmea. This is the place where I instruct students how to be powerful Pyromancers! But Fire can be quite dangerous. We must not be rash, lest we destroy that which we mean to achieve." Emily nodded as she said this, taking in every word.

"Come see me after you have finished your tour. I'm always up for fanning the flames so students can learn more about Pyromancy." With that we left the building.

* * *

"It was warm in there," I said as we left the fire school. "Are you sure you'll be alright in there? I know how you feel about heat." Emily paused for a moment.

"I may not like sweating all the time, but I do like dragons, you know that. Besides, I feel things differently than other people, I'm sometimes more okay with heat than they are."

"Okay, if you say so." Just then we came across a tree that looked as if it was on fire. I almost walked past it, shielding my eyes because it was so bright, but it talked to us; it talked to Emily at least.

"Hey, you must be a new Pyromancer student," said the tree. Emily stopped to talk to it.

"Yeah, I am."

"I'm Bernie, the Fire Tree; you'll be seeing me a lot while you're here."

"I'm Emily, and this is my sister Genevieve, but everyone calls her Gen. She's a Diviner."

"Oh, have you met Torrance yet; he's the storm tree."

"No, but we're heading there right now," said Emily.

"How about we go to the Ice School first," I said panicked. "I mean its right there!"

"If you're going to keep being difficult, I'll play along, but you can't keep avoiding your school forever. Bye Bernie," said Emily as we headed toward the Ice School, a Blue building with a symbol of a snowflake.

"Goodbye Emily," called Bernie. "Goodbye Gen."

* * *

As we entered the Ice School, we saw blue everywhere. Blue wallpaper with snowflake patterns, a blue runner, blue flames coming out of the brazier full of blue liquid and blue icicles were growing by the torches with some sort of glowing blue substance in them. The room seemed noticeably colder. Emily didn't seem to mind that much, and if she could bear it, so could I.

On the two chalkboards, there was a diagram to probably cast a snow puppy and the lessons for the first class along with the teacher's name (Ms. Lydia Greyrose). At the front of the class was a little fairy.

"I remember her," I said. "You thought she was the fairy godmother."

"Or the blue fairy," added Emily. "She told us about the sidewalks."

"She did say she was the Ice magic professor." As we approached her, she took notice of us.

"Ah, you two are alright. Not only that, but I hear you're the heroes of Unicorn way."

"Well your advice on the sidewalks helped," said Emily.

"Ah wonderful, anyways, Welcome, dears! I'm Lydia Greyrose, as you know; I'm your Ice magic Professor."

"Not _our_ Professor," I said. "We're a Pyromancer and a Diviner if you've already forgotten; we're not in your class."

"That does not mean you cannot learn some Ice magic in your spare-time. However, Ice magic, or Thaumaturgy, is not for the impatient or flighty! My Goodness, no! You'll have to study hard to learn Ice magic, but I'm sure you'll be great at it. And I'll always offer a hand if you need it. Come see me when you are ready to begin your lessons. You have much to learn from Ice!"

* * *

"I'm not sure what to think about that school," said Emily as we left. "It seems hard."

"She said she would help you, but don't worry, you don't even have to go." As we continued walking down the path, we passed a tree that was covered in snow and had a blizzard around it. I figured it was the Ice tree. Then we came across the purple building with the symbol of the storm cloud.

"Ah, here's your school Gen. It's _right_ here. We should just go in," said Emily, in a mocking way.

"But how about we-"

"No! We've delayed it long enough. I've already met my teacher and we're at the building for the second time already, we're going in!"

"Fine," I said defeated. I approached the doors. I opened them, but just as I looked inside and saw the teacher on the desk, I quickly shut them again.

"What is it, Gen?" asked Emily, half concerned, half annoyed.

"I can't do this," I said.

"Why?"

"He's a frog," I said simply. "He's a FROG!"

"What's wrong with your teacher being a frog?"

"He's tiny, and not even human." Emily looked incredulous.

"Who knew you could be so judgmental?"

"_Your_ teacher is a human."

"Actually," said Emily, putting her hands on her hips. "My teacher is an elf."

"Really," I said, confused. "She's not tiny."

"There you go again, basing your thoughts on stereotypes. She had pointy ears, and all elves, no matter the size, throughout all media, have pointy ears."

"Well," I said, rearranging my thoughts. "She's close enough to looking human."

"I'm sure he'll be fine once you get to know him," said Emily. She grabbed me by the shoulders, grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me in.

Once inside, I saw Purple was the main colour of this building. It had purple wallpaper with a storm cloud pattern, and a purple runner. It had a brazier with purple flames coming out of purple liquid, and the torches had sparks of electricity in them. The chalkboards had a diagram of how to cast a Thundersnake, and the lessons for the first day listed Thundersnake and Lightning bats, along with the teacher's name (Mr. Halston Balestrom). You could hear the ambiance of a storm while in the room. There was the teacher, standing on the desk, in his little purple suit.

As he approached he noticed us.

"Ah! If it isn't my extraordinary student now, along with her sister! Welcome to the School of Storm, also known as Divination! For those who have chosen to master this magic are known as Diviners."

"I always thought divination meant seeing the future," I murmured to Emily.

"Me too," she murmured back. My teacher continued.

"I am Professor Halston Balestrom, Master Inventor! Oh, yes, and Professor of Storm Magic."

My feeling of inadequacy came back. I'm not an inventor, how could I expect to learn from one. My teacher continued.

"Who can master the power of the Storm Lords and the Seas? Anyone who can harness their creativity." I'm a little creative, I guess. "You look like a smart one, Genevieve. Check back when you are ready to start learning how to release your inner thunder!"

* * *

"Well, he seemed eccentric," I said as we left.

"He is an inventor," said Emily. As we started to walk back to the center of Ravenwood, we came across a willow tree that looked sad in a pool of water with it raining around it.

"This must be that tree that Bernie mentioned," said Emily. "What was his name…Torrance, is it?"

"Yes, that is my name," said the Tree. "You must be a new Pyromancer, and you a new Diviner," he said, regarding me.

"Yes, we're both new," I said, bearing a grin. Emily elbowed me. "What?"

"Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

"Okay…Torrance, my name is Genevieve and this is my sister Emily."

"You can call her Gen if you want," Emily added.

"It's nice to meet you both. Well, I hope you enjoy the class, and the rest of your tour."

"Goodbye Torrance," I called out as we left. After we left him, I spoke up.

"This is just great; you get a friendly tree, while I get a sad tree."

"Torrance isn't that sad," Emily defended.

"He has a _rain cloud_ around him. Not only that, but my teacher is not even a person, and is an inventor. Most Diviners are inventors! I'm not an inventor. I don't think I'll feel comfortable in that School."

"You feel comfortable with the spells."

"It wouldn't be the same without you there." We went quiet for a moment and stopped walking.

"You're still hung up on that, aren't you," said Emily. "The fact we're not in the same school. Because of this, you're letting every little thing about your school bother you."

"They'd bother me even if you were a Diviner as well, but I'd be able to push through it if you were with me."

"You have to push through it yourself, because I'm not changing Schools."

"I'm not asking you to; I want to change Schools." Emily started to get a little fired up.

"I don't need you to be there with me, I'll be fine on my own!"

"We don't know that; the kids here could be just like the kids back at home."

"We're heroes; I don't think much harassing will happen to us."

"Still, I don't think I'll do well in the class." There was another moment of silence.

"I think _you_ need _me_, more than _I_ need _you_."

"You're not at all bothered by this?"

"I'm a little bothered at the fact that we're apart, but we were going be apart anyway back at home, except here, I feel like I belong, and I know we're still going to have a dorm together, so I'm not that bothered. We can help each other out then, and hang out after school and weekends." I turned to Emily.

"I'm glad you're here for me, Em," I said to her.

"I'm glad you're here for me too, Gen." I hugged her, and she hugged me back. "Let's continue on with the tour," said Emily.

"Where to next?" I asked.

"Looks like the life school." Indeed, the next building did look like the life school. It was green and brown, and had a symbol of a leaf in the archway. Beside the school, was a cherry blossom tree, who seemed happy. When we got closer to the school, I felt more relieved in spirit, like a weight had been removed from my shoulders. I figured the school was doing that.

* * *

"At least my teacher's not a cow," I said as I entered the school. The teacher standing at the front of the green and wallpapered classroom with a leaf pattern and green runner was a cow in a green kimono. She had black hair tied in a bun with chopsticks; she seemed Asian; I didn't know cows could be Asian. The class looked as if plants were growing in the room, the torches had green light, and the brazier had blue liquid with green flames. We approached her.

"Welcome, my dear young wizards," she said with a kind voice. "I am Moolinda Wu, Professor of the School of Life. This School celebrates the living, ever-green power of creation and vitality." I felt like bowing to her with her act of greeting, I remember that Asians bow in greeting and I felt kind of rude. I bowed and Emily followed suit.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wu," I said while bowing. "I am Genevieve, known as Gen by many, and this here is my sister Emily."

"It is a pleasure to meet you," said Emily while bowing. Ms. Wu bowed back.

"Emily, Gen," she said to us.

"Yes," we said eagerly.

"Do you know what's special about Life magic?"

"What?" we asked.

"If you listen carefully to your surroundings, you'll hear Life magic all around." Our eyes widened with amazement. "Just a few notes can lift one's troubles, purify one's spirit, and restore life."

"Amazing," I said.

"When can we start learning this?" asked Emily eagerly.

"Soon I will teach you how. Come visit me when you're ready to learn more." She bowed as we left and we bowed back.

* * *

"I said it before and I'll say it again," I said as we exited the Life School. "Seems like a hippie school."

"You seemed very intrigued inside," countered Emily as we started walking to the next School.

"I was being polite," I reasoned.

"It still seems a little interesting to know," said Emily.

"Maybe, you're intrigued with a lot of schools already, but you should remember we're only taking the one each," I reminded her.

"Yeah, I know," said Emily glumly. Just then we came across a tree with one eye, next to a yellow and blue building, with the illuminati eye as the symbol in the archway.

"Well," I said. "This has to be Myth. It's the only School we haven't been to yet."

"What do you think Myth is about?" asked Emily.

"Well, the spells of Myth I've seen involved a minotaur and some ninja pigs…maybe it's about using the magic of old to summon creatures from Myth and legend."

"Could be," Emily shrugged.

"Let's go in."

* * *

Inside was not much different than the outside. The walls were yellow with the illuminati eye pattern with a blue runner. The torches had yellow light coming from them and the brazier had blue liquid with an oddly yellow flame. At the front of the room was a wizard in yellow and blue robes with a wand that had a star and crescent moon on it.

"It's actually a full grown wizard this time," I said happily. We approached him.

"Let me guess," he said before we could introduce ourselves. "At least one other Conjurer-want-to-be taking the Ravenwood tour? How quaint." He shook his head in frustration. I was starting to like this guy less and less. "I wish they would send us some adept pupils for once." I could see Emily didn't like him that much either. "Well, if you wish to _attempt_ to learn some Myth spells, come back later and I will see how well you pay attention. Now, leave me alone." So, we left without another word.

* * *

"He didn't seem very nice," said Emily as we left the building.

"Yeah, if _he_ is what a wizard teacher is like, I think I'll be okay with my frog teacher."

"We still have no idea what Myth is about," said Emily.

"All we know is that it's a weakness to Storm and vice versa." We started to walk back to the center of Ravenwood.

"Well, that finishes the tour," said Emily.

"On a bad note," I added sourly.

"I think now we head back to see the headmaster," assumed Emily.

"Let's go then, let's get our thoughts off that grouch of a teacher." Emily and I then ran back to the tunnel that led to the commons.

We ran all the way back to the headmaster's office. We had to stop to catch our breath before we went in. After which, we went in, and approached the headmaster to tell him we had completed our tour.

"Good! Now you know where all your classes are held! I hope you liked all your Ravenwood instructors."

"Most of them were okay," I said. Emily then elbowed me in the ribs.

"Everyone was great," said Emily. She gave me a glare. She obviously thought a lie would be more okay right now; I did not get her sometimes.

"That is great. Your classes will start tomorrow at nine. If you want, whenever you're not in class, you can wonder about you can wonder about to see what all of wizard city has to offer."

"Awesome," I said.

"Thanks Headmaster," said Emily.

"I should mention though, there have been strange events around town," said Ambrose. _Huh_, I thought. _If _wizards_ find it strange, then they must really be strange_.

"Nothing serious," he continued. "Nothing that promising wizards like you can't handle! Now, did you see your teachers about that extra spell yet?"

"No, not yet," I said.

"Well, as a reward for visiting all your instructors, here is a new spell card for each of you! Don't forget to add them to your decks. You should talk to your teachers about them teaching you how to use them." With that he gave Emily a spell called Fireblade, and me a spell called Lightning strike. According to the cards, Emily's spell was supposed to add extra power, and mine was supposed to add accuracy; the two things we lack.

"I also have something else for you," said Headmaster Ambrose. "To welcome you to Ravenwood." A light came in front of us, and then became a Ravenwood banner.

"Thanks Headmaster," said Emily, as it became a light again and floated into her bag.

"One other thing," said the headmaster. "Have I told you about having a secondary school?"

"No?" I said, being confused to what he meant.

"Well, besides having your main class, you can have a secondary school alongside it to learn another school of spells besides your own. It can be any class of your choice, of course you not be able to learn them as fast as your main spells; it will take extra work to learn them, so choose wisely."

"Oh so that's why the teachers were advertising themselves," I said.

"I wonder which one to choose," said Emily. "There are so many good options."

"I guess we should sleep on it," I concluded. "Right now, we should probably go see our teachers, and ask them to teach us these spells." We were about to bolt out the door to do that, when Emily stopped me.

"Wait, its four o'clock right now, where are we going to eat once we're done?"

"That's a good question," I said. I turned back to the headmaster. "Excuse me, Headmaster, where can we find food here?"

"Oh you're concerned about meal-times," said Ambrose. "Don't worry, food usually appears in your dorm room, but there's a few restaurants here as well in the shopping district."

"We're going to have to go check out that shopping district sometime," said Emily. "Of course, now we should go master our new spells. Goodbye Headmaster."

"Good luck, young wizards," said Ambrose.

* * *

After meeting the Myth teacher, I wasn't so hesitant to spend time with my frog teacher, I mean Professor Balestrom. He happily obliged to teach me how to master the new spell. This spell would not cost me any mana, so it was pretty simple. I just had to memorize the rhyme I was going to use to cast the spell.

My teacher was amazed that I already knew how to make the symbol and knew I had to say verses to cast Storm magic. I also needed to master focusing on storing the mind drawn location in my mind, to be transferred out into a floating disk. As soon as I was able to master the spell and memorize the rhyme (_Sloppy, Cloppy, Clumsy, Dodgey, you can take a hike; you can't from my perfect aim of my Lightning Strike!_), my teacher generously offered me a chance to have dinner with him. I accepted, hoping Emily wouldn't mind. I had a great time; we had pizza, a favorite food we shared. I learned all about his ideas and inventions, and I told him a bit about my life, without revealing too much. I learned he liked fashionable hats, and kites, and disliked naysayers and patent officers (officers for inventors, apparently they had their own laws to uphold). I also learned he liked the lightning bats spell the most; he mentioned I might like it too.

* * *

After that was done, I met back up at the dorm with Emily. Our room was pretty circular, more octagonal. There were two single beds up against the left side of the room, two desks were up against the right, the door had flowerpots on each side of it, and window was across from the door. Emily had already hung the banner on the wall above our beds, and now she was practicing her new spell; casting it, then minor fireballs to see if they had a boost in power.

"_From my flame, burning weak, it is the aid of umerus I seek. In the Pyro-Dracon name, turn my spark into a flame. From your assist, feed my fire to its peak."_

"Careful," I said. "You don't want to destroy the room."

"You're back," said Emily happily. She stopped what she was doing and came to hug me.

"Sorry if I made you worry," I said.

"It's okay," she grinned. "I had dinner with my teacher too."

"Really," I said with interest.

"Yeah, we had something called Pasta Arbiatta, I think. Anyway, she's really nice, but also pretty strict. She was impressed with how far I was, but we did not stop until I knew how to cast it. I learned she's very formal, and very fond of fire. She's not a fan of snow skiing. She likes sunrises and soft jazz music, and her favorite spell is the summoning of the fire elemental, it's a tough one. How'd your evening go?" I told her about everything that had happened.

"Not so bad now, is he?" said Emily smugly.

"Yeah I guess you were right."

"Okay, that's great. Now what to do for the rest of our evening? We still have an hour left before nine and that's when I think we should go to bed."

"What do you want to do for an hour?" Emily thought about it for a moment.

"I still have a problem with these pink clothes I got. How about we find the dye shop and get that fixed, and then we can come back and get some shut eye."

"Sounds like a plan," I said before we rushed out the door, right into Ravenwood.

We followed the directions from Emily's wand to the dye shop, which turned out to be right in the beginning of the shopping district. When we entered the shop, we saw it was full of display clothes. Robes hung on hangers, hats on stools by the window, wands on wand shelves, and pieces of jewelry and badges. I was too enamored with it all; of course, we were just there to get Emily's stuff dyed and that was it.

Emily asked for everything pink to be dyed red, along with the novice's hat which she wanted dyed entirely red.

"I'll never understand your obsession with red," I said to her.

"Red's a powerful colour, Gen. It's the colour of blood and fire." As soon as everything was dyed, the old woman named Darla Whisperwind, the dye shop keeper turned to us.

"That'll be seventy one gold coins, dear," she said to Emily.

"Seventy one gold coins!" I said.

"She wanted a lot of her things dyed red, and that's not cheap." Emily paid Darla, and we left a shop, where a line was starting to form. We still had a bit of time left, so we took a look around the shopping district. We saw all the different types of shops and tunnels leading to a place called Olde town and a tunnel leading to Colossus Boulevard. We found where all the restaurants were, and the chilly Elik's edge. After which we decided to head back to our dorm.

* * *

After we were ready for bed, (we were sleeping in our clothes tonight, we'll have to buy some wizard later), we tucked ourselves in. There was one thing I couldn't stop thinking about.

"Hey, Em," I said.

"Yes," said Emily.

"Tomorrow we go to Wizard school," I said happily.

"Yes, we do, don't we," said Emily. Who knew this was going to happen to us.

"Good night," I said happily.

"Good night," said Emily. With that, I fell asleep. I couldn't wait till morning.

* * *

**So, how was that? It was a little sappy, but that's just who I am. Next chapter they go to school for a bit, but first tell me what you think of this chapter!**


	7. Classes part 1

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in a long time. This chapter was just hard to write. Well, it's the longest chapter I've ever written for this. I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

[Third person, Omniscent]

"Emily and Genevieve," the girls heard in the morning. "It's time to get up. You wouldn't want to be late for the first day of classes." Hearing that, they thought they were back at home and it was all a dream. They decided to sleep in until their mom came back in.

"Girls, it is time to get up," said the voice. "Do not make me use the alarms."

"What alarms?" asked Emily groggily, for they weren't used to alarms back at home.

"These alarms," said the voice matter-a-factily. Then all of a sudden some fireworks went off above the girls' heads, causing them to sit up in a panic. Genevieve started to scream, and Emily, while not a screamer, nearly did the same thing with her yell. The girls then looked at the beds and clothes they were in and realized wizard city wasn't a dream after all.

"Okay," said Emily. "Those nearly gave me a heart attack," she said clutching her heart.

"Same here," said Genevieve doing the same. "Aren't fireworks in a building a bit of a safety hazard?"

"Don't worry," said the voice. The girls looked around the room to try to find the owner. "The fireworks are harmless. It's just to get you out of bed in the morning."

"Then why do I have soot in my hair?" questioned Genevieve, brushing soot out of her hair.

"Who's talking?" said Emily, asking the obvious question.

"I'm a spell cast on the dorms to remind students of their schedules and get them up in the morning," said the voice. "Students in the beginning levels have their classes in the morning and they last for three hours and fifteen minutes starting at nine-o-clock which is in one hour."

"Wait," said Emily. "You're saying we get the afternoon off?"

"There may be some schedule changes, but for now yes."

"Cool," said Genevieve.

"Yes, it is pretty cool, but may I remind you to get out of bed and get ready."

"Right," said Emily. "We should probably do that." They flung off their covers and then made their beds. Genevieve was still concerned about her hair.

"Em, I'm a little concerned that we'll have to go to class with soot in our hair. We didn't bring any brushes or stuff like that with us." Emily looked around the room.

"We don't need to worry about that Gen," said Emily, pointing out how the desks have been replaced with vanities with complementary brushes for hair and teeth, some bottles with toothpaste and hair oil, and a bowl to wash their faces in.

"Thank you," said Genevieve happily.

They made their way to the vanities. They brushed their hair the best they could and Emily applied her hair oil. It worked like magic, calming what she couldn't tame with her brush, flattening all her frizzy bedhead hair she couldn't take care of, and dissolving all the soot in it. When Genevieve saw _that_, she applied some to _her_ hair.

"Magic hair stuff, I love you," said Emily.

"All girls seem to fuss over their hair," said the voice. "Of course I can understand first impressions." After that was done the brushed their teeth and washed their faces, and then they were done. The vanities then turned back into desks and plates of bacon, over-easy eggs, and toast with a glass of milk appeared on them. The girls ate their meals, enjoying every bite of it.

"This is good," said Genevieve.

"Thank the cooks at the eatery in the commons," said the voice. "They're the ones that volunteer to make the food for the students in their dorms.

"To think," said Emily. "They give us all this complementary stuff, but they don't give us pajamas."

"Everyone has their own interests," said the voice. "You can buy some you like in the shopping district."

"Then that's our goal for today," said Genevieve. "After classes, we'll go to the shopping district and get some pajamas."

"Right," said Emily. Once they were done, the dishes vanished. They still had about half an hour left.

"Why did you wake us so early?" said Genevieve.

"Most students consider changing," said the voice.

"Well, I'm not changing," said Emily. "I think this is a good look for the first day. It's a blank slate impression." Emily was never one for fashion statements.

"Well, I'm going to see what I can wear today," said Genevieve.

She took out her spell book from her bag and enlarged it. She opened up to the backpack tab and went through the clothes pages. For hats she had a purple and yellow Canvas Cover that curved and had a bell and Rattlebones' Cowl which flopped down over her eyes. She thought the Canvas Cover made her look silly and Rattlebones' Cowl wasn't suitable for storm school.

For outfits she had a Raiment of Storms, which had a skirt and a long dangly rope belt with a crystal on it. The skirt had little stars that dangled on the bottom, and a sun symbol on the shirt. She decided to go with that. She pulled it out of her book and put it on.

"A little over the top, don't you think Gen," said Emily.

"I like it," she said.

"Suit yourself," said Emily.

For shoes, she had Canvas Wraps, Ruby Slippers, and Stormweave Shoes. The Stormweave Shoes matched the color of her outfit, so she pulled them out and put them on. For wands she could choose from her simple Baton of the Clouds or her Charged Wand.

"I think I don't anything too powerful for the first day," she said. So she stuck with her Baton of the Clouds, and she still wore the flawed opal ring. She then noticed her hat clashed with her outfit, so she pulled out the Canvas Cover and put it on, even if it did make her look silly.

"Done," she said as she twirled around in awe.

"Wow Gen," said Emily deadpanned. "You really like to go all out for first impressions."

"I should try to look my best," said Genevieve proudly.

"So," said Emily, trying to change the topic. "What do you think we'll be covering on our first day?"

"Well," said Genevieve. "I think we'll just be covering introductions, the course outlines, some basic stuff, you know, the use."

"You have fifteen minutes before class," said the voice.

"Okay," said Emily.

"So," said Genevieve, not ready to leave yet, "the first day of our year in a new world."

"We'll still have holidays," said Emily.

"Those are a while away," said Genevieve, flopping onto her bed. "I think…I'll miss our family."

"You and me both," said Emily, plopping down on Genevieve's bed as well.

"Do you think they're missing us?" said Genevieve.

"I don't know," said Emily. "We only left yesterday. I guess Mom and Dad would be missing us a little. I'm afraid of how much they will miss us by this world's thanksgiving. Adam however, he might not be missing us yet."

"Yeah," said Genevieve, reminiscing. "I bet he's happy for the quiet."

"I don't know if he'll ever really miss us," said Emily glumly. "Or if he'll even notice we're gone."

"He'll notice," said Genevieve. "Eventually; I mean, he's still our brother, he'll miss us at least a little bit."

"Yeah," said Emily, said lying down on the bed and looking at the ceiling. "I guess."

"Don't get too comfortable," said the voice. "You now only have ten minutes until class, and punctuality is expected from students." They took a few deep breathes to ease their nerves.

"Maybe we can go pick out our seats and be there before everyone else is like we always do," suggested Emily.

"Sure," said Genevieve, just going along with it.

They both knew the other wished they had more time before class. School wasn't a good experience for them, especially for Emily. Genevieve wanted to be there for her through the hard times and Emily just wanted to learn without being thought of as an oddball. Emily figured this was a new place where nobody knew her so she could have a fresh start; she also hoped their exploits on Unicorn way may help lighten people's view of her. Genevieve didn't know what to expect from fire students, or storm students for that matter. Genevieve hoped that since Emily was with a lot of people like her she could make some new friends, and they won't too hard on her; she also hoped the storm students weren't too hard on _her_. Still, nothing could stop them from splitting apart; they would just have to be brave about it. If they could tackle beings of the undead, school should be no problem, right?

So they made their way to their classes, Genevieve parted from Emily when they made it to the storm school and Emily continued to walk to the fire school. Once Genevieve was inside the storm school she went to find her seat. The ambiance of thunder made her shudder. She really wasn't a huge fan of storms, but the book said she belonged there so there was no use arguing. She chose a seat in the middle row, left side, in the very middle of the room.

Emily was a different case. She wasn't a huge fan of heat, but she barely noticed it in the classroom. Madame Falmea noticed her and smiled; she appreciated Emily's punctuality. Emily chose a seat at the very front and center of the room on the left side, excited and nervous about what was going to happen that day.

When class had started for both of them it was just like Genevieve predicted. They had begun by having the entire class introduce themselves, giving a little summary of who they were, who their family was and where they were from. They had heard of people from Marleybone, Mooshu, Krokotopia, Polaris, Darkmoor, Avalon, Celestia, Grizzleheim, all these worlds they had barely heard of before that day. Then it was time to introduce them; they spoke their names but not their last, which made their classmates curious. They said they were from earth, which nobody recognized.

All eyes and ears were on them as they spoke of the earth and of how it wasn't part of the spiral. People grew ever more curious. They spoke of their family a little, mentioning how their twin sister was in another school of magic and when they mentioned what that school was, everyone realized who they were.

"Hey, it's one of the heroes of unicorn way."

"I had no idea they weren't even _from_ the spiral."

"If their world doesn't believe in magic how are they so good at it?

"They must truly be something else if the headmaster invited them all the way here."

"I think there's another reason they're here."

"Didn't they say Malistere was in Golem tower?" The teacher's then had to settle down the students to stop them from going into an uproar. Once introductions were done, the teachers went over the course outline for the year. After that, they decided to do some introductions of their own. They talked of the school's history and how it was founded in wizard city, they talked of how wizard city was one of the main worlds in the spiral, and they talked of how Merle Ambrose became the headmaster of Ravenwood. Once that was done, they went over the rules of the school, rules of the city, and the basic rules for magic. Emily and Genevieve already knew the rules of magic; the headmaster told them all about cards and mana.

After class was dismissed for the day, the girls met up with each other. They really didn't have anything to mention that was interesting that the other didn't already know. At least their status as heroes paid off, maybe a little too much in their opinion. They went and had lunch in their dorm, and then went to the shopping district to buy some pajamas. To go with the colour scheme they had going, Genevieve bought some pink pajamas, while Emily bought some red flannels.

They then spent the rest of the day touring the commons, shopping district, the fairegrounds (played a few games), and while nervous about it, they did check out the courtyard to golem tower again. They had dinner in the shopping district and then spent their last few hours touring the library. The Library seemed amazing to them, so much arcane knowledge and banners of every school on the walls. Genevieve was a little miffed that the Librarian was a dog man, but they did find an interesting Book on the history of the spiral. It told of the dragons, the titans and the giants, who ruled the land, sea, and air, presiding over the magic of fire, storm, and ice. They felt pretty good to be a part of the major magic schools. They would've read more, but it was time to head in for the night. So they brushed their teeth in their dorms, put on their new pajamas, and went to bed.

* * *

The next day, when the voice woke them up, they didn't hesitate to get up. They got ready for the day, had their breakfast and got dressed. The voice told them that for that day they would have six hours in class. That was more like it; they were more used to those hours.

Genevieve decided that for that day she would be wearing her normal attire. Emily decided to wear something else that day. She wore her hair in a red hood trimmed with yellow known as a Soot-stained hat, for her hair was a mess. She also wore some red and yellow trimmed Soot-stained boots, which went with her Firestorm Vestment, which had a white blouse with a red and yellow torso, yellow trim, red and yellow trimmed cape, and a red and yellow trimmed drape hung down in front of her red pants. For her wand she decided to take her scepter of ignition, for she figured things still wouldn't be very major on the second day.

On that day, it started with them having a refresher quiz of everything they went over the day previous. That was easy. They then went into the history of the magic in their school, the history of magic in general, and the history of the spiral. They were given the last few periods of the day to work on their project, after deciding how they were going to do it, gather what they needed and did some more extensive research that is. Ravenwood didn't kid around.

Emily and Genevieve met up to decide what they were going to do for their classes. They noticed how their classes depicted different things with how the war happened. They both said that neither were ones to start the war, but it was the two others. The Diviner's tome claimed that since the Tritons were merciful, they were put to sleep, and The Pyromancer's tome claimed that the dragons used their power to end the war. Then it went on to say how that school was the most powerful, how the magic has been formalized for wizards, the school colors, and the gemstones were ruby and amethyst.

Emily had to do a paper for her project, while Genevieve had to make a diorama. Genevieve decided that she would make something that would show how the Great War between the titans and the magic involved that made the spiral, by showing how the war tore apart the one world. In the background, she would show how the three main magics combined to make other magics. Emily decided, based on what Genevieve was doing, she was going to write about how the Great War may have been destructive, but caused a many great things to occur.

Emily and Genevieve worked on their projects for the rest of the day until they had to go to bed that night.

* * *

The next day, they woke up and got ready. They got dressed for the day, wearing simple clothes, Genevieve in her Canvas Wraps, and Emily in her Seared Shoes and Novice hat which looked just like her ordinary hat. They then practiced what they were going to say after breakfast.

When they went to class that day, they presented their work to the class. Everyone was surprised of how much of an understanding they had of this. The teachers praised their hard work and devotion to the task and gave them high marks, recommending others to follow their example.

After the presentations were over, they focused on simple attack spells. The spells that would never fizzle were the ones that didn't cost you any mana, so they focused on sparks and fireballs, which focused on finding that hidden magic within them or the magic that resided in their wands. They also learned how to use magic without their wands, for wands just help you channel mana, without a wand you just need more concentration, which was something their schools both had to focus on.

The next thing they learned about that day was natural elements, like mana and wisps, what they were in essence and how they helped. They learned how each sidewalk was different in each area and how they kept monsters away. They learned how the chests would show up for anyone deserving of a reward.

"Oh, so that's what those are," realized the girls. They also learned the history of the trees and some basic spells that you could use, like changing something into something else, or multiplying something.

At the end of the day, the girls decided to relax in the commons, before heading to their dorm for dinner.

* * *

The next day, they had a pop quiz to review what they learned the previous day. That was still easy but a little harder. They then went over how to make things levitate based on the magic they had. It was mostly based on wind; the Pyromancers used hot wind while Diviners used regular wind. The Pyromancers then focused on changing the temperature of things through magic, while Diviners focused on changing the state of water, vapor, or ice. After that lesson, they worked on basic wand magic, like getting directions, changing the size of something, or basic cleaning up.

The final lessons of the week allowed Pyromancers and Diviners to develop a sixth sense, a sense into their magic. Pyromancers worked on sensing heat sources, while Diviners worked on sensing approaching storms. They then worked on more sensual stuff, like sensing heat or if there is water nearby, sensing the weather (the heat or movement in the atmosphere), and sensing life (The spark inside of someone), and the situation (sensing if things are heating up or cooling down, or sensing the type of storm that is brewing).

They were then released for the weekend. After school, Emily and Genevieve were so hyped from all that they learned that they couldn't wait to show each other the type of magic they could do. Frankly, it was pretty much the same, but they still liked to show it off.

* * *

On Saturday, they spent the whole day in the library reading; they also learned what treasure cards were. On Sunday though, they decided to check out the commons more.

On Sunday they weren't concerned about dress code or looking to please anyone's fashion taste except their own. Genevieve wore her raiment of storms, her canvas wraps, her Rattlebones Cowl, her flawed opal ring and she had her charged wand. Emily was even crazier. She wore her green sturdy coat, her ruby slippers, her frost touched cap, and she had her branded wand with her.

"Well," said Genevieve. "You sure know how to go all out there."

First thing they did that day was look around for reagents. Around the ice tree, Kelvin, they had found some frost flowers and some Cattails. Emily gathered one of each while Genevieve gathered as much as she could, two of each. Next they checked the fairegrounds where Genevieve found some deep mushrooms, and then Genevieve found some Mistwood behind some buildings. She was in a gathering mood.

After lunch, they went to go find something else they could do, when Emily noticed that girl Genevieve noticed earlier in need of assistance. They went to go ask her what the problem was.

"Oh, Hello," she said. "My name's Penny. I just got to Wizard City and I have no idea what's going on. Nothing is like they said it would be!"

"I know," said Genevieve. "Weird things are happening."

"My parents told me all about how nice Professor Malistere was when they came here, and how I'd really enjoy his classes. I came here and he's gone! No one knows what happened to him, and even the whole death classroom is missing! There's just floating rubble!"

"That'd be Malistere's handiwork," said Emily.

"What?!" said Penny. "Anyway, that's not the worst part. My application somehow got lost and I don't know who to talk to next."

"You're not even enrolled!" exclaimed Genevieve. "School has already been in session for a week already."

"Almost a week," corrected Emily. "And the death school is doing their own thing right now, so I'm not sure if it even matters."

"Of course it matters," said Genevieve. "What if the death school comes back?"

"True," said Emily. "Okay Penny, if you don't know who to talk to, I guess we could go to Mister Lincoln. He's the registrar; he probably handles all the school's papers."

"That's great," said Penny. "Where do we find him?"

"You don't know how to ask your wand for directions?" puzzled Genevieve.

"I do," said Penny, "It's just, it's not working at the moment."

"I guess all death magic is acting wonky with everything that's going on," said Emily. "Here we'll use my wand." She waved her wand saying, "Where is Mister Lincoln?" They followed Emily's wand to the courtyard of Golem tower.

"Hey Mister Lincoln," said Genevieve. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," he said. "Golem tower is especially beautiful this time of day; so I like to do my work around here."

"Mister Lincoln," said Emily. "Do you know what might have happened to Penny's paperwork for her application?"

"That's Penny Dreadful," said Penny.

"You see," said Genevieve. "Penny doesn't seem to be enrolled, so we were wondering if the paperwork for her admittance may have gotten lost somewhere."

"Let me check," said Mister Lincoln, flipping through his book. "Hmm…no, I don't see any young student named Penny Dreadful in my books. Her registration must not have been processed. You should speak to Headmaster Ambrose to see what can be done."

"Okay," said Emily. "We will." Penny looked upset.

"I knew it had gotten lost," said Penny.

"Don't worry, Penny," said Genevieve. "We'll find it." Before they left the courtyard, something caught Emily's eye.

"Hey it's Regina Flametalon," said Emily. "She's one of the older Pyromancer students. I wonder what she's doing here."

"Em," said Genevieve. "We need to sort out Penny's problem."

"We will," said Emily. "I just want to Regina first." So Emily went over to her.

"Hi, I'm Emily," she said. "I'm in the beginning Pyromancer class. I saw you in one of the old class photos; pleasure to meet you."

"Hi," said Regina. "Would you mind if I asked you of something? I normally wouldn't ask someone I just met, or a beginner, but I really need help. All my friends are busy with their projects, so I don't know who else to turn to."

"I can help you, what do you need help with?"

"You see, I'm trying to finish this science fair project for Professor Balestrom, but those Golems stole my materials."

"Science Fair? Golems?"

"There's a science fair this week for the advanced classes; especially if storm is your secondary school."

"Hey," said Emily. "That's my sister's school."

"Well I wish her luck. The assignments that Professor Balestrom can give you are not always easy. I was working on mine out in this courtyard, and then the Golems from that tower decided to go for a stroll and stole the matirals I need. They took them back into that tower." Emily looked at the tower.

"Why would they steal your materials?"

"The materials I had helped Golems function."

"I see," said Emily. "It probably wasn't a good idea to work on your project so close to the tower then."

"I thought I would be done before their gallivanting. I really need those materials back. I've got a few more preparations to make, and this is due tomorrow. If I have to fight the Golems too, I'm sure to be late!"

"Oh," said Emily, knowing the feeling of a bad grade. "That's bad." Regina continued to panic.

"If I'm late, I'll get a bad grade and…wait a minute. If you retrieve them for me, while I do the last preparations, I can finish my project and still be on time!" Emily looked at the tower again.

"I don't know, Regina," said Emily. "I'm just a beginner."

"I've heard stories of how you used your magic to save Unicorn way from dark forces; surely you could be able to get my materials."

"I had help for that," said Emily. She looked back to her sister and Penny. "And right now we're doing something else."

"Please," begged Regina. Emily couldn't help herself.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Great," said Regina, "Could you first bring me some Enchanted Wood from one of the wooden Golem constructs in the tower?"

"Sure thing," said Emily, not sure what she signed up for.

"Thank you," said Regina. Emily made it back to Genevieve and Penny.

"Sorry guys," she said. "You'll have to go on without me. I'll be too busy fighting Golems to help."

"What!?" exclaimed Genevieve.

"What about my paperwork?" asked Penny.

"You can find it without me," said Emily. "I need to get materials for Regina's project that's due tomorrow."

"Alright," said Genevieve. "I'll try to get back to you later."

"See ya," said Emily. She then braced herself and headed inside Golem tower. Genevieve and Penny made their way towards Professor Ambrose's office. Once they got there, they saw he was all alone for a change. Must've been his R&amp;R day; they approached him.

"Sorry to bother you sir," said Genevieve.

"No bother at all, Genevieve," said Ambrose. "I'm just reviewing some paperwork. What brings you and your friend here?"

"Speaking of paperwork, sir," said Genevieve. "We were wondering if you know what happened to Penny Dreadful's paperwork."

"Mister Lincoln says my application must not have been processed, for I'm not enrolled at the school."

"Young Penny Dreadful of the Marleybone Dreadfuls? Oh dear?" he seemed panicked. "You poor girl! Let me see if it got misplaced." He then went around his office shuffling through piles of paper. "Here it is!" he said relieved. "Her application got shuffled into a stack of other paperwork! I wonder if Gamma misplaced it…Oh, here it is! Wonderful!" He came back to his desk to address the girls.

"Miss Dreadful, as you can see we have your application and everything is in order. I offer my sincere apologies for this confusion."

"Okay, thank you Professor Ambrose," said Penny. She turned to leave. Genevieve was stopped before she made it to the door.

"Genevieve, if there's anything else you and your sister can do for her, I'd be most appreciative. Her parents were both students here, long ago, and we remember them fondly. It's just that Penny's arrival comes at an unfortunate time…"

"Don't worry Professor," said Genevieve. "Emily and I will look out for here."

"Oh good," said Ambrose. "Now run along." When Genevieve met Penny outside, Penny was ecstatic.

"I'm so happy they found my paperwork," said Penny. "Oh, thank you so much. Tell your sister thanks as well, I won't forget how helpful you two have been. I'll see you in class."

"Maybe," said Genevieve as she ran back to Golem court. She had to go back to help Emily. She noticed Emily running back into the tunnel to Golem Court. What was she doing out?

The girls met up back in the court.

"Thank goodness you're Gen," said Emily. "Beating a wooden golem was easy enough, but Regina needs something to make her project move, so now I have to fight some tougher clockwork golems. I could use your help for that."

"What were you doing in the commons?" asked Genevieve.

"I didn't want to use my potion so I went looking for wisps." She explained. "You need all your strength and energy when fighting these guys."

"Okay, good to know," said Genevieve. "Let's go in." Then they went inside the tower together.

When they got to the Clockwork Golems, Emily went into the sun circle while Genevieve went into the circle with the symbol of the eye. Genevieve managed to take out the golem in the key circle with a single Thundersnake; meanwhile it took Emily two turns to smash the clockwork golem in the dagger circle. She threw an Ice Beetle at it, and it retaliated with an Imp. Luckily, Emily was wearing her sturdy coat. She finished it off with a Firecat. Emily approached the disabled Golems and yanked a gear from one, mildly shocking herself.

"We got the gear," said Emily. "Let's take this back to Regina." Once outside, they drank their potions to refuel their health and mana.

"Tastes like grape soda," said Genevieve.

"Huh," said Emily. "I was going to say it tasted like grape ginger-ale."

"Too bad we're not a huge fan of either." They approached Regina.

"Hey Regina," said Emily. "We got that charged gear you needed."

"Oh thank you," she said taking it from them. "You've been a big help, Emily! With everything going on, there is no way I could have gotten one of those myself; and as I can see, you needed help as well."

"Well, it was easy really." Emily rubbed the back of her head. "All we needed to do was cast three spells."

"My project is almost complete," said Regina happily. Genevieve was starting to understand why Emily wanted to help her so much; helping someone felt good.

"Okay," said Regina, set in her sights. "I need one more piece for my science project. It's going to be tough, so you don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"Are you kidding," said Emily. "It's been easy for us so far."

'_Easy for her to say_,' thought Genevieve. Genevieve was only lucky because she had powerful spells. She forgot to use them half of the time.

"I thought you would say that," said Regina, smiling. "You have to go up to the top of Golem tower."

"Why?" questioned Genevieve. Regina and Emily then turned their attention to her as Regina explained.

"I need a steam capacitor to complete my project. The only one I know of would be the one on the Iron Golem, and he is REALLY tough!" Genevieve went white.

"I don't blame you if you don't want to do it. But, if you do, I'll give you treasure cards for defeating the Iron Golem and bringing me the steam capacitor. Deal?"

"Deal?" said Emily, shaking her hand. "I know if we fight him together, he should be no problem. Of course, we should probably buy another potion each; just to be sure."

"Okay," said Genevieve nervously. So they went to the Fairegrounds to find Hilda Brewer, and asked her for some more potions.

"We'll be fine, Gen," Emily reassured her. Genevieve nodded. They attached their potions to their belts and headed off to fight the Iron Golem.

When they made their way up the tower again, Emily found herself doing most of the work for Genevieve was constantly getting overwhelmed. Just before they climbed the last flight of stairs, Emily found a Novice Athame dagger, which would increase her mana. That was good, because Emily was getting drained. They gulped down their potions so they would be all fueled up for the fight with the Iron Golem.

Genevieve was pretty shocked with how Emily wanted to play things out. Emily would be fighting an ordinary Clockwork Golem, while Genevieve would be fighting the _Iron Golem_. Before Genevieve could protest, that's how the dueling circle set it up. Emily took out her golem with a single Thundersnake. Meanwhile, Genevieve cast a Lightning Strike spell.

"You do what _I_ do better than me," said Genevieve in disbelief. The Iron Golem cast an Ice beetle at Genevieve.

"I only know how to do this because I have the right wand for the job," said Emily, irritated. She tried to cast a Scarab, but it fizzled in her irritation. "Without the wand, I'm clueless of how the spell works." Genevieve cast a spell to heal herself. The Iron Golem cast a Thundersnake spell at Genevieve.

"Shocked with my own school's spell," said Genevieve glumly.

"That's because it's of the same school you are," said Emily, frustrated. Man, her sister needed to cheer up. Emily cast a Blood Bat spell at it. "Just pick a spell, focus on it and cast it on the Iron Golem!" Genevieve picked a simple Ice Beetle spell, and blasted the wand's magic at the card. Doing that caused the Iron Golem to fall apart.

"Great," Emily panted. "We did it! We're done!" She went over to the Iron Golem parts and picked up the steam capacitor. "I don't know what you're problem is, but we really don't need that attitude while we're fighting things," she said glaring at Genevieve.

"My problem is that nothing is going my way!."

"That's not true," said Emily, trying to give her a good point.

"Is it?" said Genevieve. "Ever since I came to this stinkin magical realm nothing has been going right for me! First, my hair turns pink. Second, I don't get the school I want. Third, I find out my teacher's a frog. Lastly, I can't get this stupid magic thing right! My spells fizzle a lot, and always fumbling around trying to pick the right spell to cast. Yet _you _always know what to do, everything seems to be going your way, which I honestly didn't see coming! I mean, out of the two of us, I have the magical name, and yet you're the magical one!"

"You'll be fine. You're doing okay in class," said Emily.

"That's because we've only covered the simple stuff," said Genevieve. "We focus on inventions more than magic."

"You can't stay off that stuff forever," said Emily, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We haven't covered the spell stuff yet. We've only had one week of class and we _still_ know more than most people. You'll get better."

"You really think so," said Genevieve.

"I know so," said Emily. "Now let's get this steam capacitor back to Regina."

Once they made it back to Regina, she was surprised with how things turned out.

"We got you that steam capacitor," said Genevieve. "It wasn't as easy as before."

"You guys defeated the Iron Golem? Wow! You know how many students have tried and were defeated?"

"We should be lucky the Golems don't kill people then," said Emily.

"Yep," said Genevieve. "They just steal from them."

"You guys are amazing!" said Regina, "just like everybody says."

"Yeah, well Gen deserves most of the credit," said Emily. "She cast the finishing blow."

"Yeah, well, you still did most of the work, Em," said Genevieve.

"Amazing," said Regina. "And true to my word, here are the treasure cards I promised. Remember to put them in your deck. I know you'll need them in the future. I have to get back to work on those finishing touches; bye now!"

"Bye," said the girls as they left her. Before they left the court however, Genevieve noticed she had a message on her wand. When she answered it, she saw it was from the duelmaster.

"Come see me, I need to speak with you."

"What could that be about," asked Genevieve.

"You should go see," said Emily. "I need to go get some new clothes died anyway."

"I need to die some clothes as well," said Genevieve.

"Alright, we'll get our clothes died first." Doing so cost them a hundred and four gold coins for the Vrixx wraps had a very special material. Genevieve still had enough money for another potion, so she also got one of those. They then made their way over to Unicorn way to see Diego.

Once there, Diego noticed them approach.

"Aha, hello there my friend," he said to Emily. "And this must be the sister you told me about."

"Yeah, this is her," said Emily. "Why did you want to see her; surely not just to say hello?"

"Headmaster Ambrose has asked me to show you more of the art of dueling," he said, addressing Genevieve. Genevieve was astounded at this.

"Why?" she asked aghast.

"He has noticed you're having some problems with your magic."

"I haven't realized that until today," she said. "Has he been spying on me?"

"No," he said. "As he put it, 'he noticed something was troubling you, so he took a peek.'"

"That's reassuring," said Genevieve sarcastically.

"Genevieve," said Emily. "Use this; you need the lessons."

"All right," said Genevieve. "I'll take the lesson."

"Excellent! This will take but a few minutes. Enter the door to the arena to begin." The girls began to enter but Diego stopped Emily.

"Not you I'm afraid," he said politely.

"Why not?" questioned Emily.

"You'll be learning this later; Genevieve's only getting this earlier because she's struggling."

"Alright," said Emily. "I'll see you back at the dorm, Gen."

"See ya, Em," said Genevieve. She then made her way into the arena.

* * *

"Welcome, my friend, to the dueling arena!" Genevieve was in the grassy fighting area in front of a dueling circle and a clockwork puppet.

"Oh no," said Genevieve. "Not another Golem! I've had too much of those today!"

"You wish to learn more in the Art of dueling, no?"

"No, I want to learn," said Genevieve hastily.

"Outstanding! Approach the puppet, and we shall begin your lesson." Genevieve hesitantly made her way towards the puppet. They then moved to opposite sides of the circle, in the sun and dagger positions.

"Let us begin by explaining Power Points. You may call them Pips, for short!"

"Oh, I know about Pips," said Genevieve.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I kind of fought Malistere in Golem tower with my sister when we first came here. Headmaster Ambrose explained them there."

"You fought Malistere?!"

"Well, we fought his minions to be more precise."

"That's still impressive," said Diego. "Can you tell me what Pips are then?"

"Well, Pips represent your magical energy stored up over time. The more Pips there are in your circle, the more powerful spells you can cast. You get one new Pip every round. You can tell how much magical energy one has stored up, or how powerful a spell they might cast will be by looking at the number of pips at their feet."

"Very good," said Diego. "Now do you know about Pip cost?"

"Yes, every spell has an equivalent Pip cost, which can be found on the upper left of each spell card one has. You can only cast the spells that ascertain themselves to the amount of magical energy you have stored up."

"Great understanding of Pips," said Diego. "Now let us see if you can put that understanding to use in a duel. Let us start with a Pip cost of 2."

"But I only have 1 Pip," said Genevieve.

"So you cannot cast any 2 Pip spell. You'll have to pass." Genevieve did what he said.

"Pass," she said. "I rather not do that in real battles. It just gives my enemies an opportunity to strike."

"True," said Diego. "But you will find that passing can be strategic at times."

"Or instead I could use a spell that doesn't cost any mana at all."

"Yes, that is a more favorable option." The dueling circle went around once and Genevieve gained another Pip.

"Good, you have passed and gained another Pip! With two Pips, you can now cast the Troll spell." Genevieve looked through the deck Diego gave her for the lesson. There was indeed a Troll spell in there. "You will also find there is another spell in there: Tough. This is an enchantment card." Genevieve thought he said that like this was going to be difficult, but then it turned out that was actually the spell's name. "Enchantment cards can be used to improve the other cards in your hand. Let me show you. Pull out the Tough card…" Genevieve did. "…and now pull out the Troll." As Genevieve did that, the two cards connected to each other like magnets. There was a small glow, and then the two cards became one golden one. "Look what has happened! The card has been enchanted to do more damage. Now it is a Treasure Card. Now, since you have two Pips, you can cast the Troll at the Puppet." Genevieve took out her new treasure card and blasted it with her wand, forming the myth symbol. A troll was summoned, and it threw its club at the puppet. "Now you are back to one Pip, yes?"

"Yes," said Genevieve. It was pretty obvious.

"Let us give you another hand. If you search through your deck you will find an array of 3 Pip spells. Draw them into your hand." Genevieve did as he said. "With only 1 Pip, you cannot cast any of these 3rd rank spells. You would need to pass for two rounds."

"I can't pass for two rounds!" said Genevieve. "Don't I have any 0 Pip spells!?"

"There is another way…Let me show you."

"What is it?" said Genevieve excitedly. Diego waved his sword and suddenly there was a golden Pip at Genevieve's feet.

"I have given you a POWER PIP, see?"

"Yes, I see," said Genevieve, who wasn't sure what a power pip was. It was like Diego could read her mind.

"At the beginning of each round, you have a chance to get a Power Pip instead of a normal Pip. Power Pips count double…but only for spells in your class!"

"So, I can cast extra powerful spells ahead of schedule?"

"Indeed," said Diego. "Let us focus on the lesson. Now you have 1 Pip and 1 Power Pip. That means you can cast any 2nd rank spell that you wish…or you can use a 3rd rank spell in your school of focus: 1 point for the Pip + 2 points for the Power Pip! See? The card for your school is available to cast." Genevieve saw as she did normally with her spell cards that the spell she had the energy for had a certain glow to it that the others didn't. "Cast the spell at the puppet now."

Genevieve picked out the card with a shark on it and threw it in front of her. She didn't know the rhyme for it yet, so she just threw it front of her, blasted it and made the symbol of a storm cloud. She felt the power surge from her wand. Water filled the circle, and then a sparking shark broke its fin through the water, finally jumping out and devouring the puppet in a swarm of sparks. The shark and water then disappeared, but the puppet had less health than before.

"Outstanding!" said Diego. "Now let us look at another type of spell card: Wards."

"What?" said Genevieve, who didn't quite hear him. "Warts? Wars?"

"WARDS!" he said stressing it out. "W-A-R-D-S! WARDS!"

"Oh," said Genevieve, nodding. "Wards; what are wards?"

"A ward can be used to protect you from future attacks."

"Oh, Ward, I get it now." Diego shook his head.

"There is a FIRE ward deck in your deck; it looks like a shield. When you cast a ward on someone, it will HANG in front of them, waiting to be activated. The next incoming FIRE spell will trigger it. Let me show you. Cast this Fire Ward upon yourself." Genevieve did so. A shield with a symbol of a flame appeared in front of her, hovering around the bottom of her circle.

"Very good! See how this Fire Ward hangs near your feet? Watch how it can protect you!"

The Puppet then cast a Firecat spell at her, but with the ward in place, the fire from the cat's mouth only slightly singed her.

"Do you see? The Fire Ward has activated and helps you resist most of the damage from this attack! Let's try one more hanging spell. There is a card in your deck called Ice Blade. Cast it on yourself and see what happens." Genevieve pulled out the blue spell called Ice Blade. She noticed how it looked similar to her Lightning strike spell. She threw it in front of her, blasting her magic at it and forming an ice symbol. Once it was cast, it formed a floating disk hovering high around her circle, like her Lighting Strike spell.

"This is a Charm spell," he said. "Charms are the opposite of Wards! Wards affect spells other people cast on you. Charms affect spells you cast on other people. There is a Frost Beetle spell in your deck. Cast it at the Puppet. Let's see how the Charm works." Genevieve found the Frost Beetle; it was pretty easy for there were only two cards left. She threw it in front of her, blasted it with her magic and formed the ice symbol. Snow and ice were summoned, as was an Ice Beetle. It attacked the Puppet, and as it did, her charm disk broke, sending extra magic into the circle.

"Do you see? Your Ice Beetle has triggered the Ice Charm. Now the Ice Beetle is more powerful."

"The Headmaster explained this as well when we were fighting the minions, except he did that with a basic Balance blade spell."

"Yeah, the balance school always has spells like that," said Diego.

"Too bad I don't," said Genevieve. "All I have is a spell that improves my aim."

"Storm students need that," said Diego. "They have terrible aim due to the fact they're so impulsive, that's why they fizzle a lot."

"Oh, that explains it," said Genevieve.

"Let us cover one more type of hanging affect," said Diego. "The Aura spells."

"Sounds cool," said Genevieve.

"They are," said Diego. "Aura spells affect the target over multiple rounds of combat. For example, the Fire Elf spell will cause 240 points of Fire damage, spread over three rounds."

"Professor Ambrose mentioned was well known for those type of attacks."

"Yes, because fire specializes in eating away at something over time."

"Okay," said Genevieve. She wasn't sure she liked the phrasing of that.

"Let's see how an Aura spell works," said Diego. "Cast a Fire Elf at the puppet." Genevieve threw in front of her the last spell she had. She blasted her magic at it and formed a symbol of a flame. A tree and some bushes were summoned, and the thing bouncing between them was a small elf. He launched some flaming arrows at the puppet.

"Good," said Diego. "Now watch what happens next round." The dueling circle went around once and the puppet took some more damage from the flames. "And again…" The dueling circle went around again and the puppet took all it could from the flames, causing it to collapse.

"Excellent! You have defeated him, and completed your lesson. I hope you have found our lesson to be most helpful! Good luck, my friend, and see you soon!"

Genevieve left the arena and headed back to the dorm. When she got there, she saw her supper on the table and Emily drying her hair with her wand.

"What'd I miss?" said Genevieve, blankly, as she unpacked the bottle burners Regina gave them and put them on their desks.

"I took a shower," said Emily. "The dorm left a shower for us behind that screen because we're kind of grungy after a week. So, you learn anything good?"

"Maybe," said Genevieve as she helped herself to some supper. "I might have learned how to use my Pips more effectively, and a bit more on certain strategies and spells."

"Good for you," said Emily, as she finished drying her hair and moved on to moisturizing. "Apparently, your skin dries out after you wash," said Emily. "Did you know that?"

"I could've guessed," said Genevieve. "It's pretty irritating how dry it gets." Once Emily was done moisturizing, she moved on to brushing and then using her wand to straighten her hair.

"Don't judge me," said Emily. "This is the best way to keep it tame." Genevieve finished her supper and then went to have a shower.

"At least your hair isn't Pink," said Genevieve as she showered.

* * *

The next day, they went back to the color schemes. Emily wore a tan and red crown of seasons, her Firestorm vestment and some seared shoes, along with Novice Athame and branded wand. Genevieve wore her canvas cover, a purple and white novice robe (Like a simple dress with a cape), her canvas wraps and her Baton of the clouds. Before going to class that day, they went around the school yard so Emily could catch some wisps to fill up on some more mana that the Novice Athame allowed. They noticed that people were talking about how they defeated Iron Golem; another amazing feat to add on to the list.

In school that day, they started with a pop quiz to review what they learned the week before. With everything that happened in their weekend, it was harder to remember. Emily got about 79% while Genevieve got about 74%. After that pop quiz, they learned how to sense morality inside a person (The type of flame of storm that burned or brewed inside). Once that was over, they learned simple lighting spells (How to make floating fireballs, or make a glowing spark). After that lesson, they learned about security, safety and trap spells; how to identify them and how to make them.

Then it was on to the simple lessons. They learned about door magic, spiral doors, doors that led to many floors, and how they worked. Then they looked at the many fields of magic and how two of the main magics could combine to make a new one, like life, myth, and death.

Next they learned a handy skill: Teleportation. The girls decided they would mostly use this to go to the commons and their dorm. At the end of the day, the teachers brought up an important topic: Secondary schools. They explained that they had until the end of the week to decide what secondary school they wanted to attend, for after that week, the schedules of the students would be redesigned to accommodate both schools into lessons. It was a good idea to expand their horizons and now more than one type of magic.

After classes that day, the girls spent the rest of their time trying to decide what secondary school would be best for them.

"I'm already lousy at storm magic, do I need to be lousy at another," said Genevieve frustrated.

"Look at the bright side," said Emily. "Maybe you'll find a school you'll _actually_ enjoy."

"Well, there's a plus," said Genevieve. "Of course, I don't know what school I'll actually like. Death seems too gloomy; Myth has a strict teacher; Life seems like a hippie school; Ice seems hard; the only schools I'm interested in are Balance and Fire."

"Why Balance?" questioned Emily.

"Because it uses elements of all magic," said Genevieve. She remembered her lesson with Diego.

"We'll have to look into this a bit more before we make a decision," said Emily. Meanwhile, she was having the opposite problem. Emily found things she was interested in every class, how was she going to pick _one_?

* * *

The next day they went back to their simple attire. That day started with a pop quiz as usual, where the girls got about 75%. They then went on to talk about scrier pools, how they could be used to see the future, and communicate with others. Then they talked about the magic that came from dreaming, since clouds and fires could make certain images, it is certain that some dreams and their meanings are quite significant for they knew the magic behind the images.

Next they had a geography lesson. They learned more about the home worlds of their magic, Dragonspyre and Celestia. Celestia was a world that was flooded and Dragonspyre was a world that was destroyed, sort of. Both from summonings of the Titans associated with the magic. They then learned more of the different creatures associated with their magic, including some in the city itself like fire elves and Krakens. They then looked more into what the Dragons and Tritons were. For the last lesson they looked more into the different realms of Fire and storm and the teachers handed out the sheets needed to choose a secondary school.

At the end of the day, the girls were still deciding what school to go to and also were practicing some of their new magic.

* * *

The next day, after the pop quiz, they learned about how each world in the spiral is special to the spiral and how it specialized its magic, and how it did so in streets and other areas, and how magic specializes itself in people. They looked more into the streets of Firecat alley and Triton Avenue, and where to find Fire and Storm magic in the spiral. They talked about how the magic in their school works inside each person. Fire draws their power from emotion and passion and saying the right incantation, using the mind to keep it in check. Storm gets their power from thinking on the fly, and having bright ideas of how something works, harnessing great creativity. They also rhyme their spells. This made Genevieve feel better about herself. They were then given projects, of finding their gift in magic and what made them special.

The girls dropped deciding on a secondary school that night and focused more on trying to find what made them magical.

* * *

The next day, the girls dressed up. Emily wore her Firestorm vestment with her branded wand, while Genevieve wore her novice robe, her canvas cover, and her storm weave shoes with her baton of the clouds.

They were given the whole day to work on it and would be presenting it at the end of class. The girls got together to try to find each-others special magic gift. They spent three hours researching different gifts, and three hours trying to find their own. That left them with two hours left in their eight hour day.

"I don't know my gift," said Genevieve. "I've been struggling with this ever since I got here."

"You took out fairies and ghosts by yourself," said Emily.

"That was different," said Genevieve. "I was fighting for my life."

"Plus you just got here and didn't anyone else doing magic."

"Your point," asked Genevieve.

"My point is the only reason you're struggling with this is because you believe you can't do it. I know it's not fire magic, but your hearts not in it. You told me this is all based on thought and creativity, you just need to imagine what you want your spells to do, and say a fun rhyme on the side."

"I can never think of what to say or what to do," said Genevieve.

"You're stressed, I get it; it will go away," reassured Emily.

"What if it doesn't?"

"It will," said Emily.

"Easy for you to say, you're not stressed at all."

"This is still school. I'm a little stressed."

"Yeah, but you're not stressed like me."

"I feel like I belong here," said Emily. She came to a realization. "I was the one who made you stay here, and yet, I didn't know how hard it would be for you. If I knew, I would've let you go. I don't want to struggle." Genevieve came to her own realization.

"You like helping people," said Genevieve. "I like helping you. I've always had to look out for you, so I shut my emotions off. You never did. You are passionate about what you believe in, and you are so brave. I never knew what to be. Yet I have so many ideas about how things can change. That's why we're not in the same school."

"You can be pretty bold sometimes," said Emily. "Remember Rattlebones?"

"Yeah, I can be pretty blunt, but I say what needs to be said sometimes."

"You are like a storm," said Emily. "You can be harsh and cold, but you give the situation what it needs, and some of what it doesn't need. You release tension. I think I get it, I know your gift! You're diligent!"

"What?" said Genevieve confused.

"Whenever you set out to do something, whenever you know what you need to do, your power is something to be reckoned with. You're powerful when you have a job to do; when you know what to do. At Golem tower, you didn't know much about what was going on, that was why you were struggling. You knew the situation for Unicorn way, so you had charge. Pun not intended."

"You're right, and I think I get you now," said Genevieve.

"What?" Emily asked excitedly.

"You know yourself," said Genevieve.

"Explain," said Emily still excited.

"You are deeply in tune with your emotions. You know what you're feeling and why for most of the time, so you can direct that feeling into something else: your magic. You feel so good here, so your magic is good. You know your magic and how to use it; you are in tuned with yourself and your magic."

"Great," said Emily. "We know our gifts! Now let's get these into presentations!"

Genevieve had decided to do a comparison presentation on what happened on unicorn way and in Golem tower. Emily had decided to do something that in detail described how she became who she was. Genevieve managed to finish hers on time; meanwhile Emily was still working on hers a little into presentations. Emily had finally finished by the time she needed to present.

Emily gave a speech of how through most of her life she had anxiety problems and that caused people to harass and bully her, but over time she found a way to fight back and defend herself. When that didn't work, she tried a different approach of her keeping her distance and being herself. She explained that before she went to Ravenwood, she was beginning to understand the thoughts of others and what they thought of her. She was also beginning to understand more of herself. Now that she was in Ravenwood that was coming to fruition, and now she can understand that she is deeply connected to herself and her emotions, for she had a lot of time to analyze herself. When she was passionate about something, she had strong magic. Her Professor commented she was true Pyromancer then.

Genevieve pulled images up from the scrier pool showing the battles of Unicorn way and Golem tower, of how she fumbled in Golem tower and on Unicorn way she had charge of the situation. She explained it was because she knew all the details on Unicorn way so she knew how to execute the right spells and had no problems, while in Golem tower, Emily was the one mostly doing it. The class was interested to see the exploits they had pulled off, and the teacher praised Genevieve for using the teachings of a previous lesson in her presentation.

At the end of the day, Emily and Genevieve came to their dorm and breathed a huge sigh of relief. They collapsed onto their beds.

"Well," said Genevieve. "That was interesting."

"Yeah we know some things about ourselves now," said Emily, "and what makes us magical."

"Speaking of magic," said Genevieve. "Today is the last day to decide what our secondary school will be."

"Oh yeah," said Emily, with her eyes wide. She still had no idea what to pick.

"I think I'm just going to pick fire," said Genevieve, checking the box with fire. "That way you don't know something that I don't."

"Yeah," said Emily. She looked at her sheet. Maybe she should just pick storm, even it out. All of the other schools were so interesting and useful though. **How** _could **she**_ just **pick** _one_?

* * *

For the last day of classes that week, Genevieve wore her Raiment of Storms, her Vrixx Foot wraps and had her charged wand with her. Emily had something more subtle. She wore her soot-stained hood, Novice Athame, and scepter of ignition with her. She went and picked a deep mushroom and gathered some wisps for luck before class.

After the Pop quiz where the girls got 72% percent on, the lessons focused more on Magic personality, what magic can do to it and what personalities work best with the magic. The teachers commented on the presentations from the day before. The teachers also talked about certain magic keys that could make the magic work, like the incantations, rhymes, feeling a certain way, thinking a certain thought, and having the mind and heart in order.

They talked more about how emotion affects fire magic and how creativity and impulsiveness are a big part of storm magic. Then the teachers taught their students how to control their fire and improve the aim of the storm students. Around the end of the day, they talked of different spell origins in their school. They ended the day by teaching the student of how intense spells can become if one is not to careful, and then asking for their sheets to be turned in.

Emily didn't know what to do. She thought she could decide on a secondary school by the end of class, but she still couldn't decide which one to do. She thought fast and quickly filled out her sheet.

The teachers thanked the students for their sheets, telling them their schedules would be completed by Monday and they would act on their new schedules at the beginning of October. '_Well_,' thought Emily. '_This should be interesting. I hope I don't get in trouble for this_."

* * *

**OOO, what did Emily do? I will try to give an update as soon as I can. Of course I have university. So just tell me what you think in reviews.**


	8. Anxieties(Classes part 2)

**Merry Christmas! Sorry this took so long but I have university. Enjoy! First person (Emily)!**

* * *

I keep asking myself, "Emily, What were you thinking!" I guess I'll just tell out what happened after that. I left before the teacher could ask me any questions. Outside the school, I couldn't help but hyperventilate as I walked away. I was also shaking a lot and my head started to spin; I felt a little sick to my stomach. I was having an anxiety attack.

I was afraid I was going to get in trouble for what I did. I was freaking out so much that my hands got _really_ hot. I collapsed onto the ground next to Bernie and I singed some grass. Fireballs had started floating around me.

"Whoa kid," said Bernie. "What's going on?"

"Anxiety…Attack," I said between huffs. I haven't had one of those in a while. They're pretty scary whenever they happen. The fireballs had landed and were starting to set fires around me.

"Calm down," I told myself. "Calm. Down." People had started to notice. Ice students had rushed forward, even though I didn't like the heat.

"Isn't she a fire student?"

"Why would she be doing this?" The fires had started to get pretty big. Some storm students had come by too, including Genevieve. When she saw it was me in there, she began to freak out.

"Can someone put this out? We don't know how to work with water yet!" The ice students began firing ice blasts at the flames. I'd noticed I was drawing a crowd and I began to freak out some more. Once the flames were out, I pressed myself up against the wall of the fire school.

"Let me through," said Genevieve. Just great, I didn't know if this was better or worse. Genevieve made it through the crowd to me.

"Em, are you okay?"

"I don't know," I breathed out. Genevieve looked around.

"Did you start the fire?"

"It was an accident," I said.

"She was having an anxiety attack," said Bernie. "That's what started the fire."

"I think I get it," said Genevieve. "Everyone part ways, distressed girl coming through." She ushered me along, everyone parting ways to let us through. I could hear them in the background.

"That was one of the heroes of Unicorn way."

"The defeater of the Iron golem?"

"What was _she_ anxious about?" When we were a good distance away, I spoke up.

"I didn't want to draw a crowd. This is just great; now too many people know I was upset about this."

"Come on, Em," said Genevieve. "Let's just get you to the dorm, and then we can talk about it."

Genevieve opened the door for me in our tower, leading me inside. Once we were in, she set me down on my bed, and she sat on hers across from me. Genevieve spoke first.

"First anxiety attack in a while," she said.

"Too many people saw it," I said. "They think I'm weird for it. I set a fire."

"You were fine," said Genevieve. "I guess it's time for me to do the cheering up. No one thinks you're weird, Em. They were concerned for you. You have their sympathy. This isn't like back home."

"I don't need their sympathy," I said. "I've been handling these attacks for years with people belittling me for them. I just need this to stop." I was starting to cry.

"I don't think it's ever going to stop," said Genevieve.

"Not the anxiety," I said exasperated. "This attack; I want to calm down, but it's hard. I'm just too scared."

"Well we have to do something about your anxiety. We now know that whenever you have one of these attacks your magic goes out of control. What caused this attack anyway?"

"I think I made a mistake that I can't undo."

"Oh," said Genevieve. "Can you elaborate?"  
"Sure, but you won't like it." I curled up on my bed. "I couldn't make a decision. I liked the idea of going to any school."

"Even myth?"

"Even myth," I said.

"Even death?"

"Even death!" I cried out.

"What did you do?" she asked. "Did you leave your sheet blank?"

"No," I groaned. I put my face in my pillow so she couldn't hear what I said next.

"Could you repeat that?" she pleaded. I took my face out.

"I checked every box." I then plopped my face back in the pillow.

"You…did…what? I didn't even know you could do that."

"Well I did," I said through the pillow. "I don't want to get in trouble, but I'm going to. I just made everything harder for everyone. Why do I have to do that?"

"It's okay, Em," said Genevieve, stroking me. "Things will work out."

"And if they don't?"

"Well, that's pretty much all I can say. You can't worry about it right now. What will happen, will happen."

"Because of me," I moaned.

"Oh will you just-wow," said Genevieve. "Now I know how you feel sometimes." Suddenly she got an idea.

"Hey, how about we ask Bartleby what will happen."

"The grandfather tree?" I picked my head up.

"Yeah," said Genevieve. "If you're worried about this so much, we can just ask him what will happen. He _can_ see the future."

"Alright," I said getting up. I was calmer now. "Let's give it a shot."

* * *

We approached the great tree Bartley. I was a little nervous to ask my questions, so Gen did most of the talking.

"Hello Bartleby," she said. Bartleby looked down.

"Well if it isn't the two heroes now," said Bartleby.

"Yes, Bartleby," said Genevieve. "We probably shouldn't be asking, but-"

"You wish to know the future," said Bartleby.

"Yes," said Genevieve. "And we know that-"

"The knowledge of the future shouldn't be shared for selfish purposes and for most time should be kept a mystery for sometimes the knowledge of the future can lead to your own peril."

"Yes," said Genevieve. "But you see, Bartleby-"

"Your sister is recovering from an anxiety attack and would like to know what may unfold to set her mind at ease."

"Yes," said Genevieve. "And before you say anything, I really would like to help her out, because I don't like seeing her suffer like this. You don't have to tell us much, just tell us what might happen based on this little mistake she made."

"What mistake would that be?"

"You don't know?" questioned Genevieve. "Can't you see what I'm going to ask you?"

"Not exactly, no," said Bartleby.

"Could you try?" asked Genevieve. "Because Emily doesn't really like to talk about it, besides it might just cause another-"

"We're picking out secondary schools and I filled out my sheet in an unusual way," I said.

"A simple request," said Bartleby, "I will tell you what I see." Bartleby looked out at the horizon. "Everything will work itself out," he said. "You just need to give it time."

"You see Em," said Genevieve. "No need to worry."

"What about my anxiety attacks," I said.

"Oh yeah, we should probably ask about that," she said nervously. "Bartleby, here's a concerning question, will Emily's anxiety attacks be something to worry about? Will it become a major problem?"

"The future isn't certain," said Bartleby. "I see two futures: One where the power she emits being impossible to control and becoming an emblazing inferno." I gasped and gulped. "Another I see is where she manages to use her power as a force for good."

"Good to know," said Genevieve. We were about to leave, before Genevieve quickly turned around. "Rule of three, will I get a handle on storm magic?"

"Yes," he said.

"Oh thank goodness," said Genevieve.  
"Let's go, Gen," I said pulling her away.

We spent the rest of the night in the dorm room, per Gen's suggestion. We tried to brainstorm something that could get my anxiety under control. In the end, we agreed that it was something where Gen had to be there for me.

* * *

The next day, I got up, put on my soot-stained hood, my sturdy coat and ruby slippers. While Genevieve simply had the same thing as the day before except with her Rattlebones cowl. We started the day by looking for reagents. I found myself some Mist wood, deep mushrooms, and cattails, while Genevieve just settled for the deep mushrooms.

After that was done, we headed to the commons. While we were there, we ran into Penny. She ran up to greet us.

"Emily, Genevieve," she said happily as she approached us, "Nice to see you two again."

"It's nice to see you too Penny," I said.

"Have you two picked your secondary schools?"

"Uh, can we try not to talk about that," said Genevieve. "Emily had panic attack yesterday because of that."

"You don't need to bring it up," I said.

"Do you want to have another panic attack?"

"I'm sure I can manage," I said.

"It's okay," said Penny. "I haven't picked a class yet because I arrived a week late. Who knows? We might be in class together."

"Maybe," we said nervously.

"Anyway," said Penny. "I wanted to talk to you about something else."

"And that would be?" asked Genevieve.

"First of all, thank you two so much for helping me earlier."

"Don't mention it," I said. "It was mostly Gen that helped you anyway."

"Of course," said Gen, "if you didn't say let's go talk to Mister Lincoln, we wouldn't of had a trail to begin with."

"True," I agreed.

"Thanks to you," said Penny, "I'm enrolled in classes at the death school now. There's no classroom or teacher, so I'm doing an independent study."

"Good for you," said Genevieve.

"I'm also working with Malorn Ashthorn and he says I should probably write a report on my research of the Undead. Problem is I don't know the first things about them."

"Didn't your parents tell you stuff?" I asked.

"Only basic information," said Penny. "I don't know the specifics. With everything that's going on, there's so much research I can do."

"So why not go do it?" asked Genevieve. "Is it the problem of deciding which one you'll do first?"

"No," said Penny. "The problem is I'm busy; Independent studies are harder than they seem. I have so much work to do if I'm to catch up with everybody."

"So let me guess," I said. "You want us to help you with this while you work on other things?"

"If it wouldn't be too much of a problem," said Penny. "Just fill out these worksheets as you find and duel different types of undead through Wizard City. Here's a list of everyone I'd like you find." I took a look at the list she gave us; there were four things on there and we haven't even run into half of those undead.

"Penny, question," I said. "When do you need this back?"

"That's the fun part of an independent study," she said. "I set my own deadlines."

"So we can work on this as long as we want?" asked Genevieve.

"Yes," said Penny. "Just don't take _too_ long, otherwise Malorn would think I just didn't care to get it done."

"That's great," I said. "Thanks Penny."

"Thank _you_ for doing this for me," said Penny. "I'll see you later." With that, she left us.

"We know where half of these are," said Genevieve.

"Alright then," I said. "Let's go to Unicorn way."

* * *

When we made it to Unicorn way, we were a little surprised of what we saw. Unicorn Park was full of people. I counted at least six guards, nine civilians and nine students. There were two life students, two death students, two balance students, one person from my class, one person from Gen's class and one ice student.

They noticed us as we came down the road.

"Hey look," said Ceren. He was one of the life students. "It's the heroes of Unicorn way themselves!" Everyone applauded us as we came into the park.

"What's going on here?" asked Gen, as Ceren came to greet us.

"Ever since you made Unicorn way less dangerous, a group of Ravenwood students decided to pick up where you left off. Every Saturday afternoon we work on evacuating more Undead and getting residents back into their homes," explained Ceren.

"How far has that gotten you," I asked.

"If we're lucky," said Ceren. "The street should be back to normal by Halloween."

"I guess that's good news," said Genevieve.

"I want you to meet my partner in this," said Ceren. He led us through the crowd to the gazebo, where there was another girl there who was from the life school. "Emily, Genevieve, meet my friend Delia." Delia turned to look at us and smiled.

"Delia," I said. "We heard about you from Ceren; it's an honor to meet you." We shook hands."

"The pleasure's all mine," said Delia. "Thanks for showing Rattlebones a thing or two."

"It was nothing," said Genevieve. "Have you moved back into your tower yet?"

"That's what I'm trying to do," she said frustrated. "Since Rattlebones is a skeleton, he'll keep reforming. I need to find a way to properly evict him. Before I do that though, I need to help get rid of the other problems first. That's where this group comes in."

"With the combined efforts of the life and death schools we can combat the dark fairies and truly put an end to Rattlebones schemes, they also help with the skeletons and the ghosts" said Ceren.

"Where do the other schools play a part?" I asked.

"The balance school students are just here to help in any way they can," said Delia. "The students from the elemental schools they form their own team, our main attack team. They wanted to do this because of you, so they're pretty much doing what you did."

"How much undead is there now," asked Genevieve, for multiple reasons.

"Last time we checked, there were ghosts on three sections of the street, fairies on one section of the street, and skeletons on two sections," said Ceren.

"And Rattlebones still resides my tower," said Delia.

"Seems like you'll have it back soon though," I said reassuringly.

"There's less undead then before, thanks to you two, but there's still enough for there to be trouble," said Ceren.

"We were wondering if you could help us," said Delia. "This might go by faster then."

"That's actually what we're here to do, sort of," said Genevieve. "We're trying to help out a friend here by fighting some undead and filling out these worksheets." She pulled them out of her bag. Ceren and Delia looked confused.

"What? Are you baking them into a stew or something?"

"Why would you ask that?" I said. Gen then looked at the worksheets and her face went white as a ghost.

"Em," Gen squeaked. "Penny gave us the _wrong_ worksheets." I took the worksheets from her and looked them over. Serving size? Cooking time? Ingredients? These looked like worksheets to a home economics project.

"Oh this is just great," I said sarcastically. "Penny wants us to fill these worksheets based on facts about the undead, and we can't even do that."

"Its fine, its fine," said Gen. "We'll just call Penny and explain the situation." She waved her wand saying, "Call Penny Dreadful." An image of Penny appeared in front of us.

"Penny," we said hopefully, and then the image spoke.

"I'm sorry, I'm currently busy with my magic right now and I wish not to be disturbed. Please contact me later." We had blank looks on our faces.

"Okay," I said. "No problem, we can just find Penny and go talk to her about this." I waved my wand saying, "Find Penny Dreadful." Inside of my wand, instead of getting arrows and numbers, I got 'do not disturb.'

"She did say she did not want to be disturbed," said Gen.

"This makes no sense," I said. "How is this possible?" The death students approached us.

"Did you say you're doing something for Penny?" said the girl; I did not know her name.

"Yes," said Genevieve. "Why?"

"Well," said the boy, I did not know his name. "Penny is a really hard worker. When she gets into the zone she doesn't come out for a while. She sets her wand on do not disturb, and does her work somewhere we do not know."

"You mean we can't contact her to tell her about the mix up?" I said. They nodded. Genevieve went and started to bang her head against a wooden beam in the gazebo.

"I'm sorry Penny," she said to herself. "We couldn't help you because you gave us the wrong sheets and we couldn't fill them out, because they made no sense!" Meanwhile, I was looking over the sheets again, trying to make sense of them. Suddenly, I got an idea.

"Does anyone have a pen I can borrow," I shouted out.

"I have a pencil," said the ice student, a girl whose name I did not know.

"That works too," I said. She floated the pencil over to me through the crowd. I grabbed it and began to write things down.

"Em," said Gen, who stopped banging her head. "What are you doing?"

"If you think about it," I said. "You could transfer these to mean something else."

"Like what?"

"Serving size could be how many there are in a group, and cooking time could be how long it takes to fight them, and ingredients could be…" I goaded her on.

"What they are made of?"

"What type of magic and spells they use," I corrected. "See? Now it makes perfect sense."

"Great work, Em," said Gen happily. "That sure was creatively smart! Are you sure you're not a storm student?"

"I'm sure," I said.

"Great, now let's go fight some undead, fill out these worksheets and do these guys a favor," said Gen.

"Wait!" we heard a voice call out from the civilians. A person broke through the crowd; it was Olivia Dawnwillow. "I heard the heroes of Unicorn way were here and I was wondering if they could help me again."

"Well Em," said Genevieve. "This is your expertise."

"What is it Ms. Dawnwillow?" I said.

"The other day while I was walking down Unicorn way, I noticed a tall man leaving the area. As he hurried down the street, he dropped this book." She held out what looked to be an arcane book.

"What a strange tome," said Delia. "I don't recognize the markings." She drew the attention of one the death students. "Do you recognize the markings on this book?"

"Sorry no," they said, and went back to their group to discuss plans of action. Olivia continued.

"I yelled at him to stop, but he did not seem to hear me. It is strange. It looks rather sinister, and I am not able to open it." I took it from Ms. Dawnwillow and tried opening it myself, it didn't work. Genevieve tried, and that didn't work either.

"Maybe it needs a bit of magic to open it," said Delia. She called over death student from before.

"Can you try opening this with your death magic?"

"I don't think I'd know the right spell; this seems too advanced for me." They left once again.

"I was thinking," said Olivia. "Maybe you could take this to the Library in the commons. Perhaps Boris knows who owns it. Maybe he might know how to open it. He knows much about enchanted books."

"Boris Tallstaff," said Genevieve, "seems legit, and a little interesting."

"You know him, Gen?" I asked.

"I know of him, but we've never been formally introduced. Boris Tallstaff is apparently an older Storm student who works at the Library part-time, and also works on the Ravenwood Bulletin: the school newspaper."

"I guess we can meet him together then," I said. I shrunk down the book and put it in my bag. "Don't worry, Ms. Dawnwillow," I said. "We'll handle it. First we have to fight some undead, though."

"I trust you two can handle things while you're out there," said Delia.

"Please," said Gen. "This is the first thing we ever handled.

* * *

Genevieve and I cleared two sections of the street: one with ghosts and one with skeletons. First we fought ghosts. We could beat them in 1-3 turns, they were from the death class but they mostly liked to use ice and storm magic, there was about 2-4 ghosts in a section. To beat the ghosts Genevieve just used a simple Bloodbat spell. Meanwhile, I was using spells that didn't cost me any mana. I was using fireballs and fire blades, and the ghosts I fought kept firing Ice beetles at me. Who knew fighting a ghost would be so chilly.

Second, we fought skeletons; my expertise. They're from the death class, but like to use fire and balance spells mostly; you would find 2-6 skeletons in a section. We could beat them in 1-2 turns. Genevieve ended up beating hers with an imp spell, while I just used a simple Firecat. In summary, we beat our monsters, me without really using much energy, and Genevieve without even using spells that were hers.

We filled out the worksheets, said goodbye to students, wishing them luck on their task, and then went back to our dorm for lunch. After all of that, we decided to deal with the sinister looking book. I had a feeling it belonged to Malistere, but why would he be so careless as to drop it?

* * *

The librarian, Harold Argleston, seemed busy with something when we entered; so, we went and found Boris ourselves. When we found him, we showed him the book and explained the situation; I left out my hunches; I didn't want them to panic.

"You say Olivia Dawnwillow found this book on Unicorn way? Well, I know it's not one of our books, for we don't have any with this kind of dark leather binding." His voice trailed off there for a moment, like he was pondering something. "Hmmm…It must be enchanted. I cannot pry it open no matter how hard I try!" he said while trying to pry it open.

"Yeah, we had the same problem," I said. He turned his attention back to us.

"Someone used some serious magic to seal this. They must not want anyone reading what is in it."

"A book this sinister," said Genevieve. "I can understand why."

"If it was from Unicorn way, maybe it's from the guy who was causing all the trouble and they don't want us to know what their plan is," I said.

"You mean Malistere?" said Genevieve. She then covered her mouth, realizing she said something she shouldn't of.

"Malistere," said Boris. "He was the one behind the events of Unicorn way?"

"Uh," said Genevieve. "Maybe," she said nervously.

"If that's the case," said Boris. "Maybe we should try to get this book open and find out what's in here." He uttered some words under his breath. But nothing happened to the book.

"Wow, this magic is strong! I think you should take this to Headmaster Ambrose. He should be able to open it. It _must_ contain some dark secrets to be sealed with such powerful magic!"

* * *

When we made it outside the Library and started heading to the Headmaster's place, Genevieve shot me a look.

"Maybe next time you can tell me your thoughts before we enter a situation like that; that way, I will know to watch my mouth!"

"Well, I liked it better when you didn't know what I was thinking."

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because you were going to give up on figuring out what was in the book; it could be important."

"Yeah," said Genevieve looking nervously at the book. "Hopefully, the headmaster can get this open. Of course, while we're in there, you should probably not mention your hunch; you could be wrong."

"Who else would have a strongly sealed dark book?"

* * *

"You say that this book was dropped on Unicorn way by some tall dark stranger?" said Ambrose once we were in his office.

"Yes," said Genevieve. "And it is sealed with powerful magic."

"It is sealed with powerful magic?"

"Yes," I said. "And I have a suspicion that the stranger might have been Malistere."

"This does not bode well!" said the Headmaster.

"But this book might have what he's planning in it," I said.

"Then why would he have allowed himself to drop it?" said Genevieve.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," I said. "Why would he drop it?"

"Why indeed," said the Headmaster. He used his wand to create a force field around the book. As he spoke his words of power, the book suddenly burst into flames and was consumed, which caused us to jump.

"By Bartleby!" said Ambrose. "I'm glad I used a protection spell on it. That book had a trap spell on it. I think that they knew it would be eventually brought to me."

"A trap spell," said Genevieve. "Darn it! Why didn't we see it? We learned about them in class."

"I wanted him to open it," I said shamefully.

"Don't blame yourselves, girls," said the Headmaster. "You had the city's best interests at heart and you are just beginning to learn magic. You were most likely not paying much attention during that lesson." We chuckled nervously.

"I think your hunch was correct, Emily. The book is obviously the work of Malistere. We should be on guard, for I am sure there will be more dangers ahead for us! Be brave, you two." We kept that in mind as we turned to leave, but he stopped us again. "Emily, I think it is about time you had that dueling lesson with Diego."

"Really," I said excitedly. "Yes headmaster, I'll go right ahead and do that!"

"You have fun, Em," said Genevieve. "I'll hang out at the Library until you're done."

* * *

My dueling lesson was pretty much the same as Gen's, except I was casting fire spells. I thought they were pretty amazing. The firebird was such a powerful spell. When I was done, I went and met Genevieve at the Library.

She was with Boris.

"Hey Em," she said happily. "Boris was just telling me more about enchanted books."

"Yeah," he said. "She also _told_ me about the exploits you and she had." I smiled. I pulled Gen to the side.

"Does someone have a little crush?" Genevieve looked shocked to hear this; pun not intended.

"No," she said indignantly. "I just like enchanted books."

"Yeah," said Boris who overheard us, "and I just like a good story."

"He does work on the school newspaper, Em," she said.

"Do we really need it all over the paper?" I asked. "We have enough attention already."

"Yeah, but Boris thought it would be a good idea for people to hear it told from our mouths; see our side of things; well, at least mine."

"I might do your story later," said Boris.

"I'm good," I said. "For now at least; I just hope I don't end up reading your sour attitude in the paper."

"I'll get started on the article right away," said Boris.

* * *

After Genevieve told me all she could about enchanted books, we left the library trying to figure out what else we could do that day. That was when we met Prospector Zeke.

"Why hello there, young lassies! Name's Zeke. Prospector Zeke."

"Why hello there, Prospector," I said.

"Hey," said Gen nervously.

"I'm Emily, and this is my sister Genevieve, but you can call her Gen if you want."

"Nice to meet ya," said Zeke. "Say, aren't you the wizards who helped out with Unicorn way and took down that Iron Golem?"

"That's us," said Gen.

"Well, I'll be; it'd be _really_ nice to meet ya. So, I've heard you've nothing to do."

"Uh huh," I said. "We'll think of something though."

"Wait," said Genevieve. "Do you have something you want us to do?"

"If you don't mind helping me out," he said.

"Well, we're the ones people ask for help," I said. "What do you need help with?"

"You see, I been all over the place, exploring the differ'nt worlds along the Spiral."

"That's sort of interesting," said Genevieve perking up.

"Uh huh," he said. "Each world I get to, I always find some'n people have gone and forgot, like them dwarf-like fellers called the Smiths."

"What?" I said, confused of how he was talking.

"The Smiths," he repeated, not getting what I was confused with. "Tiny dwarf-like fellers; people pay them no mind for they're so tiny."

"Oh," said Genevieve, trying to understand. "So you find odd oddities?"

"I guess you can say that," said Zeke. "Say, you wouldn't mind helpin' me out, would ya? Those Smiths are hiding all 'round Wizard City. They don't do much good where they are."

"You're helping them get back to work," I suggested.

"Pretty much," said Zeke. "Locate'em and let me know wheres I can find'em, and I'll pay you kindly for yer trouble!"

"Do you really need to pay us?" asked Genevieve.

"Oh I insist," he said. "You can go around the city finding all the Smiths; there should be one in each area of the city, except the pet pavilion. I am bit concerned about the dangerous parts. You can go find them now, and I'll pick'em up when the trouble's calmed down a bit."

"Okay," I said. "We'll start by finding the Smith in the commons. I think I remember seeing one by the fairegrounds."

"Good luck, young wizards!" he called after us as we left him.

* * *

It wasn't that hard to find the Smiths; it helped that we noticed them before. I had a memory of when we went to the fairegrounds, I saw a little dwarf man taking a nap behind the tree there. Gen had a memory of when we were searching for wisps in golem court, she nearly ran into a little dwarf man behind the tower, and he told her to watch where she was going. We both had the same memory of when we went searching for reagents in Ravenwood we found some Mistwood by the casem and a little dwarf man. We fibbed and told him we needed it, so he obliged.

It was harder to find the one in the shopping district for we never saw one there. It a half hour to find him; he was behind the buildings in a woodsy area. I guess the smiths like woodsy areas.

Last place to check that day was unicorn way, so we decided to give that place another visit. When we arrived there, we ran into the defense group again.

"Hey, the heroes of unicorn way are back!" cried Delia. Everyone clapped when they saw us and we met Delia and Ceren at the gazebo.

"So guys," said Gen. "How are things?"

"Just great," said Ceren. "We managed to get the civilians back into their homes. In fact, we were just about to send most of the students back to get some rest."

"We managed to get rid of the sections of the street with dark fairies and skeletons for the time being," explained Delia. "Now is the perfect time to defeat Rattlebones once and for all, properly evict him from my tower, and finally end the dark fairy problem."

"That's great," I said. "When are you attacking?"

"Tonight," said Delia. "I'm taking Ceren and the death students with me. That's all I need to take down Rattlebones."

"You know," said Genevieve. "Em and I could take him out for you and _then_ you can evict him; make it less hard for you; I mean we're already here."

"That's not a good idea," said Ceren.

"Why not?" I asked. "Gen and I took him down so easily last time."

"Yeah," said Gen. "I'd like another round at old Ratts."

"The thing is guys," said Delia. "We've had some fairies and students listening in around his tower, spying around, you know. Rattlebones is furious with you two."

"He doesn't like the fact you defeated him," explained Ceren. "He also knows one of you took one of his bones."

"Guilty," I said, raising a hand.

"He's not the same," said Delia. "He's even crankier then before; it took him a bit longer to reform because of you. Also none of the other undead are letting him live it down that he got defeated so easily by two newbie wizards."

"Two _powerful_ newbie wizards," said Gen.

"Anyway," said Ceren. "His plan is to gather as many skeletons, dark fairies and ghosts (if Lady Blackhope lets him borrow them) and hunt you two down. He's not planning on dueling you; he's planning on outright attacking and overwhelming you."

"He won't fight fairly against you two because he knows you two are too strong for him," summarized Delia. "Better to just let us just handle this one."

"Okay," I said. "I wish you luck on that."

"What are you guys doing back here?" asked Ceren.

"We're finding a Smith for Prospector Zeke," said Gen.

"I remember seeing a little dwarf man beside the hedge maze," I said.

"We should also pick up some more reagents while we're here," said Gen. "Some Mistwood, some cattails, some deep mushrooms; stuff like that."

"Well good luck on that," said Delia. "Oh and try not to go near Rattlebones tower. He's keeping some extra close eyes out for you two."

"Got it," I said.

"Stick to the sidewalks," said Ceren. "There are still a few skeletons out there."

"We will," said Gen. So we took the long way, staying on the sidewalk and not going near Rattlebones tower. We picked up some reagents on the way, by checking out around the other tower. We found the smith at the hedge maze and made our way back down the long way. Before we left we saw the only students left were the life and death students; they were practicing some moves before they headed out. We said goodbye, wishing them luck and then went to enjoy the rest of our day at the fairegrounds and in the shopping district.

The next day, we mostly lounged around. There was a new addition to the Ravenwood Bulletin, so I took a look at that. The article on the main page which included Genevieve's interview with Boris was pretty okay, of course there were a few shocking things I read about. Genevieve basically told Boris everything we did since we came here, including her struggles with Storm magic and our little bought with Malistere! Why would she mention that?!

"I figured it would be safer to be honest with the public," said Genevieve, when I demanded information.

"_This_ honest?!" I exclaimed.

"The public should know about the struggles we're enduring," she said.

"Why did you have to tell them about Malistere though? People are going to panic that one of the beloved teachers is now evil!"

"They're not panicking that much," said Genevieve, motioning to everyone reading the paper in our vicinity. No one was screaming their heads off, but their eyes were very wide. One of the students approached us, speaking to Genevieve.

"I didn't know how hard it was for you Genevieve. You have the sympathy of me and my friends." they left.

"It's nice to actually have some for once," said Genevieve.

"Hey," I said.

"From besides you," she corrected.

"I've noticed how they're not mentioning me at all," I said dryly.

"Well I don't know your perspective, Em," said Gen. "In my eyes you're a prodigy."

"I'm not," I said. "They should know I'm having troubles with this too."

"I thought you didn't want people to know about your anxiety attack."

"Better that then everyone thinking I can handle this all by myself. News flash: I can't! People are going to think I'm amazing when I'm not."

"You're amazing to me."

"Yeah, everyone now knows your story and your side; meanwhile people are going to expect me to do the impossible."

"You can talk to Boris about having your story in the paper," Gen suggested.

"Maybe next week," I said. "Let's see if this whole thing blows over."

* * *

The next day, I had decided to wear my crown of seasons, my firestorm vestment, my soot stained boots, while carrying my novice athame and branded wand. Gen wore her canvas wraps, her canvas cover, her novice robe, while carrying her baton of the clouds. We went straight to class that day.

I was so nervous as I took my seat. I had no idea what was going to happen; what was the teacher going to say to me? When I entered the room, Madame Falmea looked at me once and then continued to prepare for the class. What did _that_ even mean?

When class started, we started with a simple Pop quiz. Oh no! Last weekend I was so stressed out I forgot what we went over Friday. I did my best on it, but overall I got a C+. After that I was determined not to let stress get in the way of my focus in class.

After the pop quiz, Madame Falmea handed out the timetables she organized over the weekend. She handed out timetables to everyone, except me! This was just great; I'm the weirdo who doesn't get a timetable; I'm the weirdo who probably doesn't even have another class! All because I didn't fill out the sheet properly! I'm a failure!

I started to shake, I got all hot, my muscles tensed and my eyes stated to tear up. This was bad; I couldn't be freaking out in the middle of class for that would be a disaster! I tried to keep in mind what Bartleby told us which was that it would all work out in the end; you know how difficult that is with anxiety?

How long was I going to suffer before it ended? I needed to step outside for a little bit. I kept telling myself it was going to be alright while hugging my knees.

"Hey kiddo," said Bernie. "You're not having another one of those attacks, are you?"

"I'm fine," I said short of breath. "At least I think."

"Is this about the whole secondary school business?"

"Yeah," I admitted. After that, I seemed to calm down a little. Maybe talking to someone did help. "I checked every box."

"Whoa," said Bernie. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't know what to check," I said exasperated, and the huffing returned. Scratch that last idea.

"Listen, kid," said Bernie. "What will happen, will happen; there isn't much you can do about it now."

"Yeah, but I caused it," I was starting to cry.

"Please don't cry," he said. "I'm sure this will work itself out. You don't have to worry about it."

There was that reassurance again. In the back of my mind I kept telling myself that over and over again; perhaps that's why I didn't freak out in an explosion of magic. Maybe I just needed somebody else to tell me that so I could feel better. So I brought myself back around and headed back to class.

"Thanks for talking with me, Bernie," I said. "It really helped."

"Anytime kiddo," he said. When I re-entered the classroom, I saw they were in the middle of a lesson and that just made me feel bad. Luckily, when I sat back down the person beside me let them look off of their notes, and the writing on the board helped to catch me up as well. We were looking at the type of spell being the summoning spell, specifically the Firecat, its origin, and how to cast it. I felt a little better knowing I was a little more advanced in that area. We then moved on to learning how to duel with it.

We then talked of other spell resources we can call in battle, such as magic deflectors, or how to use magic without dueling. After that, we talked of how Pyromancy interacted with other types of magic and with the real world. We then had a special lesson in learning the origin of the spell which had the fire sword. We were a bit inexperienced to cast it; Madame Falmea thought it would be fun for us to learn about it. She then discussed the next important lesson which would be the forging of spells, or crafting them, along the lines of potion making.

That got me excited. I was always interested in the mixing of ingredients to make something else. At the end of class though, I was reminded of the important matter at hand, for the teacher wanted a word with me in her office.

Just great! So I left the building and went across the lane to Madame Falmea's tower. I was amazed at what I saw in there. The room was huge! The whole room was red and orange, like the fire school; it had a scrying pool on one side and at the end of the room Madame Falmea was sitting at her desk. Behind that desk was a painting of her in all her elegance.

I approached the desk nervously.

"There is no need to be nervous, Emily," said Madame Falmea. "I don't bite."

"Why did you want to see me," I asked still nervous.

"A few reasons," she replied. "First let's discuss the present matter: You had to leave during class today and you got a C+ on the quiz, when before you were getting higher marks. You seem to be troubled by something."

"Yes Ma'am," I said. "I suffer from anxiety attacks. I'm at a new school and I'm not familiar with all the basics, so I'm getting a little overwhelmed."

"Well Emily, it's a good thing this was mentioned to me earlier in the year instead of later."

"I didn't want to trouble you with my personal problems," I replied sheepishly.

"Emily," she said with a look full of concern. "As a Pyromancer, your magic is linked to your emotions. If these anxiety attacks are a problem for you, it might make you lose control of your magic, and my student's progress in magic is my central concern."

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Well I know now, so don't worry yourself too much over it. I will try to help you when I can. This leads me to the main reason I called you in here." Here it comes, I thought.

"I saw that you checked every box for the sign up to a secondary school. I would have asked you about it earlier, but I did not want to bother you on your weekend. Of course, this gives me problems in making your timetable. Would you like to tell me what you were trying to accomplish in checking every box?"

"I didn't know which school to choose from, so I chose all of them."

"That was impulsive," she said. "Are you sure about what you did? Most students pick one school for it is easier to orchestrate and easier for the students to handle."

"I can't choose just one," I said. "I would like to experience all fields of magic while I'm here. Besides, I want to do everything I can to help people; like on Unicorn Way." Madame Falmea smiled.

"If this is what you really want," she said. "I'll try to work something out for you by the end of the week."

"Really," I said happily.

"I'll do my best," she said. "I'm not sure if I will succeed." Well, at least I wasn't in trouble just yet. My anxiety eased up, releasing its hold on me for the time being. I felt like hugging her, but I don't think that is allowed. She then dismissed me, and I skipped out of the office.

I talked to Genevieve about it in the dorm.

"So, let me get this straight," said Gen. "She's actually going to try to give you what you want."

"Yes," I said, ecstatic.

"If you do get it," she asked. "Do you think you'll be able to handle it all?"

"Well I wouldn't have asked for it if I didn't think I could handle it."

"Well don't go jumping in the deep end; I wouldn't want you to drown, alright."

"I'll figure something out," I said. "How hard can first year be?"

* * *

The next day, I wore something a bit simple. I wore my normal attire, plus my Vrixx wraps and my scepter of ignition. Gen still went all out in her Rattlebones Cowl, her Raiment of Storms, her Roughspun shoes, and her charged wand.

That day in class we talked of what spell forging needed in ingredients, how spells are forged, certain recipes for certain spells, and basically what a treasure card is. I already knew what a treasure card was. We learned how you use treasure cards in a duel, or how we could use certain spells for other tasks we required. We also learned how spells were different from each other in the manner of their cards and how that was most important. For a change we ended the day with a pop quiz, in which I got a B+.

Apparently, Pyromancy is very important in the forging of cards, especially related to the fire school. For that, you need to understand the full origin of fire magic.

* * *

The next day was very simple for the both of us, me only bringing my athame, while Gen only brought her ruby slippers. Today was the day we learned of our inner defense, with no help from clothes. I learned to have a greater tolerance for heat, and also to keep myself warm in the cold. Madame Falmea then quizzed us on what we knew about that, and I got an A. We also learned about the special types of clothes that could give us power and shield us; how it was made, and where it could be sold.

She taught us on how the general potion was made and where we could go to get more lessons in the craft. She taught us of the magic that runs deep in the spiral keeping everything connected to each other. She quizzed us on what we knew and I did just as well.

She then went on to teach us on how being bonded with your summons was important, and how you could get deeper connections with them. I had a feeling there was a deeper meaning to her teaching us all of this stuff. She informed us we had a test coming up, and that we should study hard for it. That wasn't what my feeling was pointing me to.

* * *

Thursday, the day before the test, was somehow the day we felt like dressing up. I wore my novice hat, my firestorm vestment, my ruby slippers, and I brought my branded wand. Gen wore her novice robe, her charged cover, her storm weave boots, and brought her baton of the clouds. This was the day we would the last few lessons of the main class before heading to our new timetables. Today was the day we would learn new spells. Today was the day Gen learned the Lightning bats spell, and I learned the Fire elf.

It was a big day for me; my first aura spell.

"The Fire Elf is the first higher rank spell I am teaching you," explained Madame Falmea. "Therefore when casting this spell you will use up more Mana and it will cost more Pips to cast it." We wrote down what she was telling us in our notes.

"The Fire Elf spell delivers three rounds of damage to enemies. The first round is hardly noticeable, but the amount will grow each round." She gave us a full understanding of the Fire Elf Spell, and soon enough, I was able to use it. We then practiced dueling with it and using it in instances outside of battle. Before we moved on to review for the test, she warned us of accidents that could happen in using such spells. After review, she gave us the rest of the day to study at our own pace. I used this time to study in the library and at the arena. Genevieve also had a test coming up as well, so I did my studying with her. I also took my time to get my potion flask filled up again.

* * *

The last day of the week, the day of the test, Gen got dressed up and I wore something simple. Gen wore her Rattlebones Cowl, her Raiment of storms, her Vrixx footwraps, and brought along her charged wand. I simply wore my soot stained hood, and brought along my novice athame and my scepter of ignition. I hid myself because I didn't want the pressure of 'Just because I'm the hero, I have to do well.'

I headed to class and took my seat. Soon enough the rest of the class filed in. I was nervous; I decided to go over my notes again. Once class started, Madame Falmea quieted everyone. She went over how the day of testing would go and the rules of each test. First would be the written test: No talking, no cheating, and no question asking. We had an hour and a half to write the test.

The test then started, and let me tell you, it was about as hard as EQAO testing. I only had a bit of difficulty in some places, which I guess was pretty lucky. As soon as that was finished, it was off to the arena. There the students had to show Diego and their teacher how they were doing at performing magic. First, we had to demonstrate the casting of basic spells of school branch, and of basic magic; I struggled a bit more in that part because I wasn't used to that type of testing.

The next part of the test involved our demonstration of dueling. I felt more confident in this area for I had special training from Diego. For this test we had to duel a dummy, and from our outcome and performance we would be marked. Luckily, it wasn't that hard for me, I had the Fire Elf spell. The challenge was balancing it out with all the other dueling spells I learned.

The last part of the test involved all the other cool tricks we learned, such as detecting morality or heat or starting fires. We also needed to test our abilities in scrying, and also potion-making and spell forging. It was all pretty easy; except for spell forging because that is not something I practice regularly.

At the end of the day, I was so tired. My sister was tired too. We felt that we deserved a break, so we stayed in the dorm all night. We each wondered how we did on the exams. We concluded that since we were confident and the solutions seemed easy to find, we were probably going to do well overall.

* * *

The next day was the weekend, the last weekend before we acted on our new schedules, which I still did not have. That Saturday, we were still in de-stressing cooldown mode, so things went a little simple for our wardrobe. Genevieve wore her plain robes and no badge; she didn't even carry a wand. As for me, I wore my plain hat, but I also wore my firestorm vestment and my soot-stained boots. I decided I also didn't need a wand or badge that day, or even my athame.

We decided for our day of relaxing, we would take in the sites of the city, without much on our minds. We would also stop at the library, read some books, and give Boris that interview on my perspective in Wizard city. After that, we would stop for lunch in the shopping district, and take a look at the shops while we were there. The plan after that was to visit Unicorn way, see how the Rattlebones problem went and if they solved it.

My plans had a change though. As we started to head to Unicorn way, we ran into Simeon.

"Oh, there you are Emily," said Simeon.

"You were looking for me?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I was sent to come get you. I figured around this time you would either be in your dorm or in the shopping district. I decided to try the shopping district first."

"Good choice," said Gen.

"Who wants to see me?" I asked.

"Well, Madame Falmea sent me," he said. "Of course, pretty much all of the teachers were in there, and even the Headmaster." That made us go silent. "Anyway, they're waiting for you in the Headmaster's office. Good luck." He then left us to do his own thing.

"Just what I need on my cooldown day…more stress," I said sarcastically.

"Well," said Gen. "If you get it done and over with, then you don't have to be afraid of it anymore."

"I guess," I said. "Well, I'll be seeing you, I hope."

"You'll be fine," said Gen. She then headed off saying, "I'll tell the others on Unicorn way you said hi."

I waved after her, took a gulp, and then headed to the headmaster's office.

* * *

If I knew I was going to be meeting with every teacher in the faculty, I would have dressed up nicer. That was the thought running through my head as I walked through the door. There they all were, waiting for me. I gulped again, and nervously walked in the room.

"You…wanted to see me," I said nervously to all the teachers.

"Yes Emily," said Headmaster Ambrose. "We thought it prevalent if we were all here to discuss your secondary schooling." Of course that's what it was about.

"I think she's being foolhardy in this decision, Headmaster," said Cyrus Drake. "Certainly she must have so huge an ego to realize the idiocy of this decision. A student cannot handle every single class in their regimen, and I know certainly that she will not meet the expectations for my class."

"She could surprise you, Cyrus," said Madame Falmea.

"Don't you think that it's a bit much for the poor dear," said Lydia Greyrose. "Our classes are not exactly easy; especially if the magic we teach opposes her own."

"I think it might be alright to learn a little bit of each school of magic," said Arthur Wethersfield.

"It is just like I teach my balance students: there is a connection in magic that we can only understand if we understand each school."

"Perhaps she is trying to find the harmony that exists between the magic by connecting with every school," said Moolinda Wu.

"I already explained to all of you what she told me," said Madame Falmea. "She wants to experience all types of magic while she is here in the spiral."

"That is just greedy," said Cyrus Drake. "Just because she likes it, she wants to possess that type of magic. She wants to be able to call herself every type of wizard imaginable, is that it?"

"Maybe," I said quietly to myself.

"Thank you for imputing your thoughts on the matter, Cyrus," said Headmaster Ambrose. "Of course, I do not think this action is just because of greed. I distinctly remember Dalia telling me there was another reason for her actions. As we all know, Wizard City is under threat of dark magic as seen with Unicorn way and a few other streets as well."

"Wait," I said. "A few other streets? Why wasn't Gen and I told about this?"

"We didn't want to interrupt your schooling, Emily."

"But you brought us here to protect the city; why are we not allowed to do our job?"

"Because I do not think you or your sister are ready to handle those streets yet; I will tell you when I think you are."

"Yes headmaster," I said.

"Emily did bring up my other point just now. I brought her and her sister here to help Wizard City, for my magic tells me we will be able to rely on them in times of trouble. Emily feels inclined to learn all she can to do just that. Emily, you may now state your case."

I cleared my throat. "I just want to say, when I checked every box on the sheet, I didn't mean to trouble anyone. I admit, doing that because I couldn't decide was selfish."

"I understand why it's perplexing," said Halestrom Balestrom. "Each school is interesting and powerful in its own way, but I'm confused why you didn't just pick your sister's school."

"I was considering that," I said. "But I felt that if I just focused on the storm school, I would be missing out on learning the other schools spells that could help me out of a bind, if I ever needed it. I know every school has its weaknesses, so I want to know every way to counter. So, in a way, I am doing this for myself, to understand the magic better; but I'm also doing this to help others, and do what I was brought here for."

"That was well said Emily," said Ambrose smiling.

"Thank you," I said.

"Luckily for you, we may have figured out a way to achieve what you're asking for."

"You did?" Malorn Ashthorn stepped up.

"When you were taking the tour, I did say I could teach you death spells whenever you stopped by. Also, we don't exactly have a class. I'd be willing to help you out."

"Gee thanks," I said smiling.

"Emily," said the Headmaster. "This is what we have decided amongst all of us. You will take your fire school classes when they are scheduled. On the days of other schooling, you will differentiate between the other classes. They will develop different teaching regimens for you to work with your schedule."

"Don't feel so spoiled," said Cyrus Drake. "The only reason we're doing this for you is because you're _supposed_ to save the city, and the headmaster agrees that you should know several types of magic. If anyone else asks, we're not giving them this type of treatment."

"Relax Cyrus," said Madame Falmea. "She's skilled enough to be an apprentice, so that's what she'll be."

"Thank you," I said. "Thank you all. I promise I won't let you down."

"You should have this before you go," said Madame Falmea. She handed me my new schedule. I left that office feeling more confident. I really felt that I knew what I was doing.

* * *

**Now how was that, we'll take more of a look into her schooling later. Also I don't think I'm going to talk about what they're wearing anymore, unless it's important to the story. Until I mention otherwise, imagine them wearing what I picked out for them in chapter two. Keep your eyes open for the next one, for I don't know when I'm posting that. See ya then!**


	9. My Brave Sister(Classes part 3)

**This chapter has been updated to fix previous errors. I mostly used this chapter for therapy when I wrote it. This is just a reflection of my past, my life doesn't suck. I found out about my anxiety later then Emily did, so the stuff in this story never happened to me. Emily's life doesn't suck that much either, she's just not a huge fan of reality, the one where everyone mocks her, but she'd be okay with a reality where she could help people. Also, this may focus on Emily although it's Genevieve's POV. To rationalize, this is a reaction from the last chapter. Genevieve questions Emily's decisions that would normally stress a person, and is trying to figure out what that says about her character. At this point in my life, people were still trying to understand me as well, coming up short with answers, and thus maybe getting a little jealous. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you guys will like this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

[First Person, Genevieve]

I certainly did not expect what happened to Emily. Instead of getting a settled secondary school, Em goes on and gets an apprenticeship with all of the teachers. If I knew that was a possibility, I probably would have asked as well. I digress though, what happened: happened, I can't change that. To be fair, I didn't even like every school.

If you're wondering what happened on Unicorn way, turns out Rattlebones was not properly evicted yet. Delia has her tower back, but Rattlebones is confined to her basement for the time being, so he won't cause any more trouble. The death students are working on a way to keep him in the afterlife properly, and un-animate his corpse so _he_ can rest in peace, and also _us_. The only problems left are the skeletons and ghosts; they're still not gone.

In other news, Boris published Emily's version of what happened to her since coming here; and for some reason she's getting more sympathy, maybe it's because the story mentions her life before wizard city, with the anxiety disorder, the sensitivity, and the harassment. It gives her humble beginnings and makes her more honorable in a sense. In my story, I make it sound like life is my own joy ride. I just mentioned how I'm struggling with my studies, not sure if I could be a good hero, and only sticking around because magic is cool and Emily wants to be here. My story makes me sound more like a depressed whiner. Emily should have had her story published first.

* * *

Anyways, it was now the beginning of October. I had a few things on my mind: 1, the new schedules, and 2, Oh my gosh, Emily is going to embarrass me this month. Emily is terrified of Halloween; she is more afraid of 'realistic horror' as she puts it. Decorations terrify her, which I completely don't understand. She says she knows they're fake, it's just she's afraid of the nightmares they can give her. I really don't understand that (if she knows they're fake, she shouldn't be afraid of them).

I got off topic; so where was I? Right: new schedules. There's not much to tell for me; I have storm school on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and on Tuesday and Thursday I have Fire school. Emily's classes are difficult to talk about.

The first week of October in storm school we focused on what made Diviners-Diviners, skillsets that could be developed and a history of past Diviners and their achievements. This mostly detailed inventors and how their storm magic 'sparked' new ideas. Out of these people were some I recognized from earth.

In my secondary school, we focused on introductions, history, and basic magic of the school. We were tapping into our inner spark, which was easy for me because I was a storm student. Emily's first two other schools that week were dueling with Diego and Balance. They skipped introductions and history for her and just focused on teaching her basic magic from the school.

"You don't seem to have anything in a classroom until the end of next week," I mentioned to her that Saturday.

"They're going easy on me," she explained. "They're trying to ease me into it."

That was when my wand received a message. I gave it a wave and answered; it was the headmaster.

"Girls, oh good you are together; there is a matter of importance I must speak to you about. Come see me in my office." The message disappeared.

"Wonder what that was about," I questioned.

"Maybe another part of the city is endangered and we have to look into it," said Emily.

"Maybe," I said nervously. "We should still go see what it's about." So we headed over to the headmaster's office. When we got there, the headmaster was alone.

"Girls, come in," he said.

"What is it, headmaster?" asked Emily.

"Girls, are either of you missing your family at all?" That was an odd question.

"Um…yeah, I guess," I said.

"It's not like we don't miss them," said Emily. "It's just…we're having fun here, and learning so much."

"That's good to hear," said Ambrose. "Of course that doesn't change the fact that your mother just wrote me a letter and sent it to me."

"What!" we exclaimed.

"How could she even do that?" said Emily. "We're in a different realm."

"It seems love can cross boundaries," said Ambrose. "In her letter she is asking whether you will be coming home for thanksgiving or not."

"I thought that here, thanksgiving wasn't until November," I said. I remembered this because my hair was still pink.

"It is," said Gamma who had just flown in the room. "The holiday for the school is not until November. Of course, you two are from a special world. We could work something out so you can still have your holiday with your family." We looked at each other.

"I would like to have thanksgiving with Mom, Dad and Adam," said Emily.

"Alright," said Ambrose. "You two can have a week off starting next Sunday, but you will have to remain here while everyone else is taking their holiday in November; it might help you catch up on school work." We looked at each other again; my sister and I nodded at each other.

"We'll be okay with that," I said.

"Then it's settled; you two can enjoy the rest of your weekend and be prepared to head home next week."

* * *

The next week in school, we learned how we could apply storm magic to everyday situations, such as putting out flames, filling cups with water, getting lights or machines to work with a spark, or even to move objects with strong winds. Professor Balestrom also mentioned how it might be useful in gardening.

People from my class found out what was going on with us.

"So you're going to have next week off," a boy from my school asked me after class one day (I'm no good with names).

"Yeah, we celebrate Thanksgiving earlier where we come from," I explained.

"So what are you going to do during _our_ holiday?" asked a girl also from my school. "Are you going home again?"

"No," I said. "As much as I'd love a second holiday, we agreed it would be better if we stayed in Ravenwood during that time."

"You'll be here all alone," commented another boy.

"Yeah, it'd be a good time to catch up on school work."

"Wait," commented another girl. "What about the city? Who will defend it when you're gone?"

"I'm pretty sure it can be handled for at least a week," I reassured them.

"Well, we don't have to worry about our street," said another boy.

"We have a street?" I asked.

"You really need to get around Genevieve," said the first boy I talked to. "Triton Avenue: The go-to spot for Diviners and the Performers of storm magic."

"Yeah," said the third boy, "I heard that Susie Gryphonbane and her brother Artur are looking into any problem that might arouse there."

"Susie and Artur?"

"Seriously Genevieve, do you keep your head in the books?" said the first girl I talked to. "Susie and Artur Gryphonbane: they are in a higher class than us but are both well-known storm students, right up there with Boris."

"Oh really," I said. "Then it's a good thing I don't have to worry, because I don't know when the headmaster will let us help out."

As for the secondary school for that week Madame Falmea focused on teaching us about fire magic in different worlds, streets and creatures. I guess these teachings were rather helpful; I know they were for Emily, for that week she was taught by the schools of Life and Death. Now Emily understood the basics of her healing spell and how song interweaves with life, and she also had extensive detail of creatures of the undead, both sets of information she shared with me.

The last Friday of the week, since the teachers knew that we were leaving, they decided to fill us in on what we'd be missing. In our main schools we were going to focus on careers. We _thought_ we could get a pass on this because we were going to be too preoccupied with saving the city. We had a compromise; we could get a pass from the project due that week, we would just have to tell them what career we were considering after looking over each one and instead of presenting why, just explain it to them. Other than that, our secondary teachers informed us what we would be going over.

Madame Falmea explained that we would be going over the magic keys again, this time for a different magic. We were going to be identifying what helped us with that field, what area of our personality we could focus on to help us, and what made us different from others who might try it. Secondly, we would be learning our first big spell. It seemed easy enough for me; just find the spark in my personality that worked with Pyromancy, it was Em who had it rough. She was encouraged to find the key of her personality to help her with all schools. Em was going to be swamped.

She reassured me that if she focused on that part during the week, and learned the ice spell she was supposed to learn the week when she got back she would be able to handle it. I reminded her we were also supposed to looking over careers. She told me she would divide her time.

That Saturday we didn't have much to pack since everything was given to us. We were however returned the clothes we had in the beginning of September so we wouldn't look too weird coming back. The voice that woke us up in the morning said it was going to miss us when we were away. So we gathered up our books, headed to the headmaster's office, and he sent us back home through the portal.

* * *

We appeared back in our room with a flash.

"Wow," said Emily. "It's been a while since we've seen this place, hasn't it." I wasn't listening; I was too busy looking around for my hair band.

"Hey Gen," said Emily.

"Yeah," I said looking around.

"Your hair changed again."

"What?!" I panicked looking at my hair. It was how I remembered it: mostly brown with hints of blonde and red.

"Hey," I said smiling. "My hair is back to normal."

"Not quite," said Em. She turned me to face the mirror in our room.

"Ah!" I exclaimed. My hair had pink streaks, and a patch around the bottom was still pink.

"Mom and Dad might pull me out of Ravenwood if they see this," I said.

"Just tell them it's a temporary die and your hair will be back to normal by next week," reasoned Emily.

"Yeah," I said, going back to looking around. "If I can find my hair band; where do you think Mom and Dad would put it?"

"I don't know," said Emily. "Somewhere in this room." As she said that, I found the hairband on my dresser.

"Yes!" I said. I picked it up and put my hair in a ponytail. "I am not losing sight of you at all this week."

"Okay," said Em, putting her books down on her bed. "So for the time being you have partially dyed hair and a coolly-coloured hairband to match."

"Right," I said. I then realized the important issue. "How do you think Mom and Dad are going to react to us already in the house?"

"I think memory magic is in play," said Emily. "Like before, it won't seem strange that we just appeared out of nowhere. For them, we probably arrived yesterday."

"Alright," I said. "Let's go see them."

* * *

Sure enough, our parents didn't react too much to seeing us at home. They gave us another welcome home, (just because they really missed us). They asked us if we liked being back at our house. Em was right; to them, we came home the day before. In answer to their question Emily said home felt alien after all this time.

They asked us how school was going, saying we didn't want to talk about it right after coming home. I told them it was hard at first, but we're getting the hang of things, and we were also involved in a lot of extracurricular activities. They said that was good, but then they brought up the serious topic.

"Are you liking school okay?" asked Dad.

"Are the other kids nice enough to you?" asked Mom.

"Everyone is really nice so far," I said.

"Emily, have you been having any…attacks while you were there." Emily got nervous.

"I've had a few," she said, pacing her breathing. "People helped me through it though."

"That's good," said Dad. "We missed you two so much."

"Your Daddy sure did miss you," said Mom. "Some nights his worry wouldn't even let him sleep."

"I'm sorry," I said. "I don't want you to worry over us."

"Are you kidding," said Dad. "I worry because I love ya, and don't want anything to happen to my two girls without me there to protect them." He would hate to know what was going on in our lives.

"Dad, we're fine," I said.

"It's just you're so far away," said Mom. "At least we have this week with you before Christmas. You know, you should visit the school while you're here, let them know what's going on in your life."

"What if I don't want to," said Emily.

"Now Emily," said Mom calmly.

"I don't want to go back there," She was starting to panic now. "Who knows what the other kids are going to do?" It was my job to calm her down.

"Emily, relax, no one is making you do anything. Even if you do decide to visit, I'll be with you. Besides, the kids can't do anything when you're just visiting."

"Okay," said Emily, calming herself down.

"I definitely wouldn't want to force you to do anything you wouldn't enjoy, Emily," said Mom. "It's just a thought."

* * *

Now school is a touchy subject for us, at least for Em. People seemed to leave me alone, and because of that I hated myself. It was stupid, hating myself because no one payed attention to me. Of course, being the most normal in my family left with me feeling neglected. At least Emily was picked on, I wanted remove myself from people's lives because I felt I wasn't good enough for them. Emily kept going to school every day even though there was hardly any love there for her, of course she had no choice, but still. Emily never fell into depression, she never refused to go to school, she never wanted to throw her life away; she got out of bed every day and went to class, even though she feared what the day would bring every morning. My sister is the bravest person I know.

I know for a fact, most of those kids in our class were jerks. I've heard things they've said when Emily wasn't around to hear it. Emily asks about it, but I can tell it pains her to know the kids were that mean. Most people hated the fact Emily was so sensitive. Whenever she had a problem, she would let people know by "acting like a toddler" as they put it. She would cry if she was scared or mad, and even sad. Emily was like that a lot at school.

She knew people hated it, so she would always run away to cry in private. She hated the fact that she sobbed a lot, and she also hated those kids for not understanding. I don't blame her. Even though her crying does get annoying sometimes, those kids are just mean. I know of divas (guys and girls alike) who want everyone to know what they are thinking. They hated her being picky about what they did. The noises they made; the habits they had, but most importantly their lack of respect; they hated how Emily showed obvious discomfort to who they were.

Emily was also smart, and everyone else may have been a little below that in the B or C range.

Emily was brutally honest in telling people their ideas were dumb. That didn't improve her popularity. It might have been another reason people hated her.

Was that any reason to comment on every flaw she had, telling her that she had no idea how to do things right, and that she was dumb and immature? That she was mean (okay, she _was_ mean; we're _all_ mean when we're young)? They threatened her, they made fun of her, they crushed her joy in the games she played and fantasies she had. Emily used threatening tones, but never uttered threats. Emily laughed when it was appropriate, but never made fun of people. She never budded in on the games and imaginings of others. She didn't deserve everyone treating her like scum.

One admirable thing is that they didn't really want her to die, no matter how much they muttered otherwise. One time I muttered something about suicide, and people thought it was about Emily. They begged me to save her. I knew if I told them the truth, they would go back to hating her in that moment, so I stayed silent. Life is cruel to throw us in with people like that.

Emily has Anxiety now and had it back then, just like me with my mild case of depression. It's in Emily's nature to be passionate (ala sensitive) and smart, just as it's in my nature to be independent. It's what makes our magic, so that's probably why this world wanted to get rid of it.

It's no wonder Emily didn't want to go back there: those kids scared her. If I was her, I wouldn't want to go back there either.

* * *

Thanksgiving was thanksgiving: we had turkey, potatoes, salad, rolls and pie. Emily uttered the thanks we had in food, home, family, and good schooling. For the rest of the week, we did our homework.

We looked over the careers for one day of the week. There were about eleven different careers for our field of magic. In the end, we settled on one we might enjoy for each of us. Emily decided that she might want to be a tamer of creatures belonging to fire magic.

"Em," I said. "Animals freak you out."

"I could move past it," said Emily. "I'm getting better at controlling my fear. Also, fire magic allows a better resistance to fire, and besides, there are dragons!"

"Is this the main reason you chose this?"

"Maybe," said Em. "I have this theory that I'm not that afraid of magic creatures, especially dragons. It's my type of world."

"What if the dragon wanted to maim you or even kill you?"

"I could learn how to hold it off."

"If you insist," I said. I chose a simpler profession. Diviners were about power, so I thought maybe I could help Power mills function, with the side job of being an oracle because seeing the future was fun if not scary. There wasn't much argument there.

Next was finding out what part of my personality responded with Pyromancy. I am not my sister, but we were both smart. Emily told me that Pyromancy comes from emotion. I barely had that. Of course, Em says she likes it when I'm having a good time. I guess, when I'm thinking with my heart instead of my mind, then I can access it. So if I act on the impulsiveness of my diviner nature, the spark can create a flame.

Emily was harder. I decided to help her for the diviner part. She knew we were both educated, independent and creative, so Em, by my amazement, quickly discovered what made her attached to Divinity. Whenever she had a spark of an idea, whenever she thought with her mind instead of her heart, she could create a storm.

Next was ice, Emily found that an important aspect of the school was patience, and Ice students are strong, loyal, courageous and honest.

"You sure you're not an Ice student?" I asked.

"Well, I like the cold," said Emily.

"What do you think lets you do ice magic?" Emily thought about it.

"Keeping a cool head," she said.

"What?"

"I rarely do it," she said. "So, probably, when I am relaxed, I will be able to perform ice magic."

"That's something, what's next?"

Emily decided to do Life next. Life focused on appreciating and giving life, the music of the world, and life students are often social, charming, funny, and spiritual.

"That doesn't sound like you at all," I said.

"What," said Emily. "I'm funny, I like music, and I…appreciate life."

"You hesitated there, do you really?"

"Maybe," she said. "This is hard, but I know I can do this." She looked over her charts again.

"They say Life is Storm and Fire, the two of us combined."

"We already know this," I said.

"What if I'm not individually life," said Emily.

"What?"

"What if it's the spirits of both of us, working together," she said coming to an epiphany.

"You're losing me."

"I have a theory," she said. "I can do life magic, and it will probably be impressive when I do it."

"What is it?"

"It's you!"

"What?"

"You're my life."

"That's cheesy," I said half-heartedly.

"It works though," she said exuberated. "You're my music; without you I have no means to make life magic." I tried thinking it over.

"You're saying, your love for me; your care for other people, that is what allows you to do life magic?"

"It makes sense," she said. "It's appreciating life."

"Okay, you're done the Life school, what now?"

Emily decided to focus on Myth. Great, _that_ school. It was surprisingly very easy for her to figure out. Myth was all about imagination, as was she, so when she focused her imagination, that would help with her magic in conjuring. Summoning was a main part of magic already; Myth was just a way to further develop it.

Next Emily focused on Death, which I was personally creeped out by. She says that Necromancers are solitary, brave, intelligent and driven. The school focuses on facing limits and fear unafraid.

"Bravery, I guess you would need it for that school," I said. "How do you think you can do Necromancy?"

"I don't know," said Emily. "They say the school focuses on bravery and intelligence. I was told I was both." I looked at the chart.

"They also say Death magic is a combo of Storm and Ice, does that help?"

"Maybe," she put a pencil to her temple. "Bravery, intelligence, Storm, Ice, and meeting limits without fear."

"Got anything?"

"Not yet," she said, slightly annoyed. "Let me think." We sat in silence for a little bit.

"Storm is thought, Ice is a cool head, bravery, fear, intelligence, meeting limits…I think I may have something."

"What?"

"It's just a theory," said Em. "It'd be hard for someone like me, with anxiety and all. I think I would be able to access Death magic if I just let go of my fear in times of peril."

"That's Ice," I said.

"No," said Emily. "This is different."

"How?" I asked.

"This is rationalizing my fear, applying logic for aid, when I transverse the depths of my subconscious. I do that sometimes, most recently actually, it's helping me get over my anxiety."

"Okay, that's done, what's next?"

Next she decided to focus on Balance.

"Isn't that just when you're balanced?"

"Sort of," said Emily. "It's using a bit of all elements."

"So no excess," I said.

"I think, sorcery, comes from being one with everything, so you're able to manipulate it."

"So where does it apply to you?"

"Mostly, I guess, when I'm in a high state of focus and understanding, when I can unlock wisdom."

"A state of mind?" I asked. "What about when that's not so easy?"

"I just have to focus hard."

"Focusing?"

"Yeah," she said. "Have my mind clear and my spirit flowing. Be relaxed and confident, and then I should be able to achieve it."

"You are barely like that," I said bluntly.

"I _can_ be relaxed, focused and confident," she said. "That's what's important. I do it to calm myself down; I do it to balance myself."

"Okay, any other schools we're missing?"

"Just one," she said. "Dueling magic."

"What's that got to do with your personality, it's self-defense."

"It's still something I'm taking."

"It's a sub-class."

"I still need to know how I'm applying myself there."

"Fine, how do you access defensive magic?"

"I am pretty defensive."

"Good, you apply that need to defend people in your magic and you can use it."

"I believe it's more than that," she said.

"Can't we just say this and be done?"

"Not if I want a good grade."

"Fine, what else?"

"Well, you said it's like a need, right. Maybe it's more than just a need to defend people, maybe it's an emotion as well."

"Like what?"

"Selflessness, like you would take a bullet for someone."

"That's love, you're thinking about life magic," I said, aggravated.

"No, it's selflessness, it's not the same. You could want to take a bullet for someone you hate or don't even know."

"Fine, you have a point. The need to defend plus the feeling of selflessness that is what accesses your defense magic. Now are we done?"

"Yeah, I think we're done."

"Oh thank goodness," I said plopping on my bed. "I'm so tired from today."

"We have two days before we have to head back," said Emily.

"Yeah, we do," I said. "So what do you want to do tomorrow?"

* * *

"You're serious," I said not believing what we were just about to do.

"Yep," said my sister, that brave little solider, as we stood in front of the school.

"Mom said you didn't have to do this; I said you didn't have to do this."

"I don't want them thinking I was so scared I ran away. I fought monsters, this can't be too hard."

"Alright," I said, taking her hand. "But know I'm sticking with you. I've got your back."

"Thanks Gen." With a deep breath, we entered the school.

We entered the office, signing in because we were visitors.

"Girls," said the Secretary.

"Hello Ms. Fletcher," We said in Unison.

"When your parents said you were not coming this year, I got worried, I almost didn't believe it. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," I said. "We're just visiting our classmates in Ms. Mallory's and Mr. Pietre's class because we leave at the end of the week."

"Oh," said Ms. Fletcher. "Do you want me to page them, tell them you're coming?"

"Do we have to do both classes?" asked Emily.

"Our true class is separated, Em," I said. "It's best to do both."

"Okay," said Emily. "I guess we'll go to Ms. Mallory's first than Mr. Pietre's."

"Why Ms. Mallory first," I asked.

"Because I'm the one who wanted to do this and she was going to be my teacher before we made changes."

"Okay," I said. "Ms. Mallory's first."

"Okay," said Ms. Fletcher. "I'll page them both and tell them you're here to visit."

So she dialed the room number and informed Ms. Mallory we were here to visit. She then did the same for Mr. Pietre's room, saying we'd be going to Ms. Mallory's first. We were then on our way. I noticed that as we got closer to the rooms, Em's breathing got heavier. Not only was she made fun of here, but the kids who didn't know her, found her strange and looked at her like she was a dead animal. Kids are so apathetic these days.

We made it to the door. Emily looked in. She groaned.

"Curt is in there," she said. "And by the looks of it, he has a new lackey."

Curt was a big time harasser when she was here. I was ready to get it done and over with so Emily didn't have to be there anymore.

"Maybe they're bored without you around," I reasoned.

"Great," said Emily dryly. "I love being thought of like that." I opened the door.

"Hey," I said. The class burst out with a bunch of "hey's" and "hello's". As much as we were picked on, we were popular for being the only set of girl twins in school.

"Ah girls it's nice to finally meet you," said who I assume was Ms. Mallory. "The class has said a lot about you." What they knew, I assumed, which wasn't a lot. "The whole class is dying to know, what's going on in your lives?"

"Well," I said. "We're going to a new school, and it is amazing."

"What's it like?" said a big girl in the back.

"It's magical," said Emily.

"What type of stuff are you learning there?" asked a kid named Tyler.

"The same stuff as you probably," continued Emily. "Science, Geography, History." That was half true.

"You get a week off in the middle of October, that's cool," said Curt.

"It's thanksgiving week, so we can see our family," I said.

"You don't live here," said who I assumed was his lackey.

"No, the school is far away so we live _there_."

"We have a really cool dorm," said Emily. "It has a neat way of getting you up in the morning, and great uniforms and the food they deliver to the dorms tastes great; also everyone is _really nice_ there." There was Emily, in her "My life is better because you're not in it" mode, that was the first time I heard it.

"They probably don't know you then," it was a quiet voice in the front, so the teacher couldn't hear. It belonged to a boy with a long face that I remembered had an attitude. I gave him a cold glare. Emily was pained by what he said, but then she straightened, leaned in, and said with a smile, "They know me better than anyone in this room does. You know why? They actually listened to what I had to say."

"I hope you have a happy life there then," he said mockingly. He then made a sound I never heard before. It was like a click of the tongue, but it echoed along the walls of his mouth. Emily cringed painfully and he grinned. He knew she didn't like those types of noises; he also liked to call her names. He was one of the meaner ones I wanted to punch in the face. Emily straightened, leaned back and said, "That wasn't very nice."

I continued the conversation.

"The city is nice too," I said. "Each street is represented by what the school mascots are"

"They're all based on an animal," said a slow diva girl named Victoria.

"Actually an Element," I said. "It's sweet."

"This Ravenwood you're going to," said this boy I didn't recognize. "It almost seems like a magic school you're going to." I got nervous, he realized it too. Emily however was starstruck.

"Well we all have magic inside of us," she said spacey.

"Of course it's not a magic school," I said. "That's ridiculous. It's just really far away so you can't visit."

"It is sad we don't get any visitors," said Emily.

"No visitors at all?" said a nice red-head, Tyler.

"No calls?" said a nice girl named Melissa.

"No letters or care packages?" said a nice girl named Regen.

"We do get letters," I said. "Of course nothing else."

"That's old fashioned," said this girl named Kaitlyn.

"Well that's what you are," said another lackey of Curt. The whole class laughed. I didn't know how that was insulting, so I just laughed too.

"We'll just go visit the other class now," I said.

"We hope to see some of you later," said Emily still spaced waving at the class, leaving them dumbstruck. When we left the room, Emily confided in me.

"Gen, I think I'm in love." I was dumbstruck.

"You just saw him, and who?"

"The red-headed freckled kid with the glasses and the squint." I didn't understand my sister's taste in boys. That kid was also a little pudgy, like average weight with no exercise. He wasn't that attractive.

"You don't know anything about him."

"I know some things; I'm a good judge of character, so I at least have a crush on him."

"Okay, what do you know?"

"He's smart, he's nice, and has an interest in fantasy," she smiled.

"So he's a winner then," I said sarcastically. From what he looked like to what she said he was like, he sounded as if our Mom and Dad had a baby. (Wait, he's not our brother).

"If only I didn't have to go back," said Emily, disregarding my last comment.

"You rather stay here," I said. To be fair, I was glad Em had something to distract her from the mean comments of the others. That kid, though I never met him, he was _not_ being mean.

"No," said Emily quietly. "Let's just get the next class done."

Now I've met Mr. Pietre before; he's a friendly guy. He was happy to see us. Of course, Cullen was there. Cullen was not a nice kid. He was a bad influence for my sister when she was younger, and when they got older, he sided with the harassers. He personally didn't like Emily's honesty, but also like a jerk, he thinks it's hilarious how she cries a lot. He thinks I'm weird for being on her side.

I had to keep a straight face for Cullen, but I was really happy to see Mr. Pietre. Mr. Pietre actually greeted us at the door. We couldn't help but smile seeing him. We entered the class, and said we were just visiting because we were leaving at the end of the week. Immediately, the class asked us where we've been.

"Ravenwood," I said.

"Sounds like a magic school," said Cullen. Dang it, why did the school have to sound magical?

"It's not," I said flatly. "That would be ridiculous."

"What's it like?" asked Jensen, a popular girl I was definitely not friends with.

"It's magical," said Emily.

"With no magic," I added.

"What do you learn there?" asked a boy I didn't know.

"Lots of stuff," I said. "Science, psychology, math, chemistry, writing, and the list goes on."

"Sounds advanced," said another Emily.

"It is at first," said Emily. "Of course, you get used to it over time."

"It's a bit boring without you guys here," said a boy twin named Ted.

"Yeah, things used to be a lot more interesting in school," said his twin, Blake. I didn't know whether to take that as an insult or a compliment. Still, these twins are usually nice, so I'd have to say compliment.

"Thanks," I said. Emily stayed silent.

"We are enjoying ourselves a lot in the new school," she said quietly. I believe that's all she could say.

* * *

I'm not sure if Emily missed the school, I certainly didn't. Of course, maybe there was a reason Emily went to school every day despite the horrors that awaited her there. Maybe she liked the feeling of normalcy, or the teachers, or maybe she liked being amongst her peers despite them being cruel to her. Emily probably didn't want to leave these people; she just wanted to be friends with them. However, so far that was never going to happen. Emily is not going to change who she is, and our peers aren't trying to understand what she's going through. Emily needs to be separated from them, so she has a chance to be herself and be happy. Meanwhile, I'm one to keep a grudge longer than her. I don't like these people for how they treat her. Emily wants them to be nicer, I'd be okay if they all stop talking, and I don't care how.

I know that's cruel, but I care about Emily more than them.

* * *

Anyways, once we were done with the class Q&amp;A, we decided to head home, saying we might visit again. I comforted Emily after we left.

"Are you okay? I mean, the class didn't do anything that mean in there."

"I'm okay," she said solemnly. "It's just, with what the twins said I…I knew…it was true; I just…wish things were different." Case in point.

"Hey," we heard someone say behind us. I turned my head. It was that boy Emily had said she had 'fallen in love with'.

"Hey," said Emily perking up.

"Are you guys leaving?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're done here," she continued. She was slightly smiling now, this was good.

"Where are you heading?" I asked him.

"Bathroom," he said.

"Shouldn't keep you," I said starting to leave.

"Are you okay?" he asked Emily. "I saw your sister comforting you. Did something go wrong?"

"It's nothing," said Emily. "It's just bad memories."

"Oh," he said. "The other kids didn't say much about you. All they said was you were weird, you spent a lot of time alone or with your sister, and you cried a lot."

"Oh," she said. "Of course they would say that." She was solemn again. It was time to go.

"Care to explain," he asked.

"Not in a few minutes," she chuckled. "I'll just tell you I have an anxiety disorder, that's why I cried, that's what the other kids never understood."

"Oh," he said. "I feel bad for you." Wow, she was right, he was nice.

"It's okay," she said. "It's what I have to live with. I just need…I don't know really. I guess it's someone who can understand. That's what Gen is for."

"I think it's not that hard to understand if people give it a try," he said. "I mean, I think I can come to grips with it."

"You don't know the half of it," she said smiling.

"Okay, we're at the boy's bathroom," I pointed out. "We should go Em."

"Okay," he said. "See ya; I really do hope to run into you again, you seem…interesting."

"You really don't know the half of that," she said, with a pleasant grin. As we started to walk away, she turned. "Wait, I didn't get your name." He turned to look at her.

"It's Colin." He entered the bathroom and we then proceeded to leave. Emily sure looked happy.

"My heart can't help but flutter," she said all giddy.

"I guess it's just what you needed," I said.

* * *

The weekend after that was pretty uneventful; I mean we did do dome stuff we haven't been able to do for weeks like play video games and watch a couple movies, other than that though, nothing to report. At the end of the week, we did wonder how we were going to get back.

"Last time we got a letter," I said "How are we going to activate the portal this time?"

"I don't know," said Emily. We sat around on our bed to think about it for a bit.

"Did you ever wonder what happened to our other acceptance letter?" Emily said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean we checked one last time and shared the portal. I think they gave us two in case one of us didn't want to go. The other one went unanswered though."

"You think we can use it to activate the portal?"

"If we can find it," said Emily. It was worth a shot; we looked around the room. I managed to find it under a stack of books.

"Let's hope it still works," I said. I checked the 'yes' box and the portal opened again.

"You ready," said Emily.

"Yeah," I said. "Let's get my hair back to normal." We went through the portal.

* * *

We appeared back in Gamma's room. My hairband fell out in the portal again.

"How's my hair look?" I asked Emily immediately. "Any pink spots?"

"No spots," said Em. I breathed a sigh of relief. "You do have pink streaks though." I took a look at some of my hair and saw the streaks.

"I can live with this," I said calmly.

"What were yoou girls in so much of a rush you activated the portal before we could have a chance?" said Gamma.

"Sorry," said Emily. "We weren't sure on how we were getting back."

"It took care of a few problems though, such as my hair and that other acceptance letter," I added.

"Well," said Ambrose. "How did you two like your vacation?"

"Good," I said.

"It was okay," said Emily. "We got our homework done at least."

"That's excellent," said Ambrose. "A little note for the future: next time you visit home, we'll be sending the portal to get you."

"Understood," we said at the same time.

"Well, here's your uniforms, spell books and wands, right where you left them."

"Once you're done changing, yoou should talk to your teachers about your homework," said Gamma.

"Okay," I said. So we changed, and just as we were to head out the door, Ambrose stopped us again.

"There is something you should know," he said. "Don't be alarmed by what you may see."

"Why?" said Emily. "Did something happen while we were gone?"

"Yes and no," he simply said. "When you walk out that door, don't panic." That made us nervous. We slowly opened the door and stepped out. What we saw _was_ shocking.

There were **ghosts** everywhere! Something definitely happened alright. Luckily we had our wands on us. We ran forward to battle the ghosts.

"Girls wait!" cried Ambrose; we stopped.

"What is Headmaster?" I asked.

"These ghosts are not going to fight you."

"Then we'll just blast as many as we can," I said.

"No," said Ambrose. "What I mean is that these ghosts are friendly." We looked back at the ghosts.

"They don't look that friendly," said Emily.

"Oh, but they are. Let me explain: It happened the day after you left. You see, every year we try to get the city into the spirit of Halloween. We carve pumpkins, we have apple bobbing contests, wizards are able visit and duel creatures of the undead, and we even invite ghosts to roam the streets. It's always been so much fun. Of course, you've never been to the city during Halloween time, so I suspected that there would be a misunderstanding. If you had been here last week when we were getting everything organized, you wouldn't have been so panicked."

"Oh, Halloween," said Emily. "Yay," she added weakly.

"It shouldn't be so bad," I said. "Fighting the undead is your job."

"They still freak me out," said Em.

"You'll be fine. We understand now Headmaster."

We headed out into the street, and as presumed the ghosts didn't attack us; it did feel weird walking through them though. When we made it to the main area, what we saw there was even more shocking that Emily yelped. The thing turned to look at us with its fiery eyes.

"Why hello there young wizards," he said with a voice I could only expect from him. "Was it that Jack Hallow was a surprise unto your eyes? The girly here is pale and meek; the question here is 'where were you last week?'"

"We were visiting family on another world," I said, because Emily was still shaking.

"Being scared of Jack Hallow, that is such a pity, I'm guessing you two are new to this city."

"Yeah, it's our first year here," I said.

"I have a question," said Emily trembling. "What exactly are you?"

"What am I? That shouldn't be so hard? I am a scarecrow, a spirit of Halloween or a simple Field Guard."

"Okay, so you're a scarecrow," said Emily calming down a little. "But you also seem to be like ghost, but not any I've seen before. So what do they call your type of ghost?"

"Again I say it shouldn't be so hard, I am a scarecrow, or what they call a Field Guard."

"Em," I said. "I think the type of ghost he is, is called a Field Guard; remember Penny's list?"

"Oh right, we didn't know what that was at the time. Hey, maybe we can get some information from him."

"Great idea," I said. "So Jack, we're trying to help our friend with this project she's doing, and she needs information on Field Guards. We were wondering if you can answer some questions for us."

"Sorry young wizards, from me its help you cannot gain, for I am a special Guard, although that is a pain. Me, my brothers three, and family, stand apart from the rest, we are ones not to harm, and there I give no jest. As for these questions, for them to be answered such, go and find those answers yourself, for I can't help much."

"Dang," said Emily. "Hard way it is. Anyways, thanks for talking to us Jack."

"Anytime young wizards, you can come again, looking for Halloween fun, I can lend some time to spend." We then went through the Ravenwood tunnel to go talk to our teachers.

Walking up on our schools we say something else that was strange. Where there used to be a gaping chasm in the middle of it was a tower, floating on a piece of rubble. So instead of heading to the classrooms, we went to go find Malorn.

"Um, excuse me," said Emily once we found him by the chasm. "Malorn, what's with the towers?"

"Hey Emily," he said. "How was your week off?"

"Fine," she replied. "I did my homework too; now, what's with the towers?"

"Oh," he said. "Those three towers appear every year around Halloween and every year young wizards like you challenge them. The first tower is not very threatening. The second one is a more difficult, while the third is a real challenge. If you're vanquished any time before you defeat the tower master, you'll have to start all over again. Good luck!"

"Who said we were challenging it," I said exasperated. "We just got here!"

"Well, maybe if we're not busy this week we can challenge it," said Em. "It'd be good practice."

"Are you sure," I said. "Halloween freaks you out, remember?"

"Fighting them isn't as scary as walking by them."

"Alright," I said. "But first, let's deal with our homework."

* * *

After turning our homework and explaining our career choices to our teachers, Emily went to go learn her first Ice spell. That pretty much took up our day. For the last few hours, we decided to have some Halloween fun, because this was the last week to do it and we'd probably be busy every other day.

First thing we searched for were Jack-o-Lanterns, which were lined all around the commons. Next, from Jack's suggestion, we went searching for blue ghosts in the shopping district. After finding the blue ghosts, we went to go bobbing for apples in Golem's court. We didn't eat any; it was time for dinner at the dorm.

After having dinner in the dorm, we went to go catch the red ghosts in the commons and then went to go bobbing for apples in the shopping district. We didn't have any this time either, we were still full from candy and cake from dessert. Of course, he did offer one last bobbing spot for us which was in Ravenwood. It was here were Emily had apples and cider.

"Three times is a sign," she said.

After the apple bobbing, we went to search for Jack Hollow's brother Jack Straw on Unicorn Way. Apparently, all his four brothers are named Jack as well. He said something along the lines of his mother's head being Hollow. Once finding him, he instructed us to go find pumpkins on Unicorn Way. I didn't think that was wise, considering how the number of ghosts and skeletons went up. We went and found the pumpkins on the sidewalks, but we nearly got attacked a few times. We asked Ceren and Delia about it before we left, and they remarked on how it was Uncanny. They know it's not Rattlebones, they've already sent him over yonder. If things get any worse they may have to evacuate the street again.

We reported our findings to Jack Straw and then reported of our time to Jack Hallow back in the Commons. We still had an hour left before bed. Emily decided to give the towers a try with her new ice spell, so I had to accompany her. Problem was, even in that first tower, Emily was inexperienced with her new Ice spell and we couldn't defeat the Halloween Trickster. Emily reasoned she should probably work out the kinks of her new Ice spell, Ice beetle, before she used it in battle. She spent the last half hour doing so before we decided to call it a night. Meanwhile, I took a shower and quick-fixed my hair.

* * *

The next day, classes continued as usual. On Monday, we went over laws of a magic in a society, how one would have their place and role to play, and how one can go against laws of magic and society; 'Basic Civics', basically. After yesterday and trying to get back into routine, as well as absorbing the new info today, we were pretty tired. We would have tried more Halloween activities, but after doing it once or three times, you don't feel like doing it again. So instead, Emily took a shower and then practiced her Ice spell, while I went over notes. I wish I had a new spell to use; when am I going to learn my first fire spell.

'Speak of the devil and he shall appear' it seems like. For my first Pyromancy class back, one of the main things we focused on was learning our first fire spell besides sparks, the Firecat. I liked this spell, it was very catty. All I had to do was memorize the incantation. It shouldn't have been that hard; it was just another verse but longer. I was dreading that maybe Emily was learning another spell in the Myth school, but apparently:

"I asked him 'Aren't I supposed to be taking a regime different than most students?' and he replied, 'this is different; _most_ of the students are farther ahead than you. I need to keep lessons at your level.' I then told him I could handle the advanced lessons, and he just told me to not get a big head." She plopped onto her bed in frustration.

"Well, maybe this is a good thing," I said. "Maybe, this way you won't have to struggle to catch up."

"It's demeaning," she replied, picking her head up. "I'm not going to learn anything useful in myth for a while."

"What _did_ you learn today?"

"I learned levitation in myth, and how to transfigure things."

"That's useful," I said.

"I'm at level one," she argued. "The most I can do is turn rocks into bugs or bread."

"Well, if we're ever stranded, we won't starve," I reasoned.

"Maybe," she said glumly.

After that night, I started working on my Fire spell, and Emily finally worked out the kinks of her Ice spell.

* * *

The next day, Wednesday, we were going over in class how one might abuse their power and how to use it without hurting anyone. We also looked at the history of how some wizards went bad with the abuse of power and how some were able to do great things without abuse. I can understand how our power could accidently hurt someone. Mine would if it were more accurate.

On Thursday, in my class, we learned how to be more in tune with our second school and how to resist it. We also learned an awesome spell, the Fire Elf, which did damage over time; another Incantation for me to learn in such a short amount of time. Meanwhile, Emily was in the storm class, and she was learning how to cast the Thunder snake. It felt nice that I was more advanced than her in that area.

On Friday, we were learning the origins of storm magic and what has persisted to present day. Everything was going normal, well as normal as it could get in that world. Of course, in the middle of the class, the Headmaster came in. Everyone 'ooed' and 'awed' at his arrival.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt your class, Professor Balestrom, but Genevieve needs to be excused; I'll explain the situation later."

"Of course, Headmaster," said Professor Balestrom. "Genevieve, you are free to leave."

"Thank you, Professor," said the Headmaster. As I got up from my seat, everyone questioned what was going on. Why would I need to be excused? Was something happening? Was one of the saviors needed? Some of them wanted to see me in action.

Once outside, the Headmaster and I headed toward the Fire school to retrieve Emily. Aww, and here I thought I was doing it alone. If you could not tell, that was sarcasm. The Headmaster nearly had the same conversation with Emily's teacher, Madame Falmea, as he did mine. I noticed Emily liked to sit at the front while I usually sat in the middle. She was obviously an eager beaver. When she left, the people in her class were discussing the same things as mine was.

Once outside, we started heading toward his office.

"What's going on, Headmaster?" asked Emily.

"Yeah," I said. "Why'd you pull us out of class?" Recalling on what Emily told me, the reason we weren't doing this whole 'savior' thing was because classes were important.

"The reason I pulled you two out of class is because the faculty and I can't put this off any longer," he said.

"Put what off any longer?" I asked.

"I think he wants us to take care of the dangers on the streets," replied Emily.

"Yes," he said turning to us. "Things are just growing too dangerous to handle them by ourselves."

"And you want us, two inexperienced wizards, to take care of it? I mean, what can we do, we're children," I questioned.

"I know what you are," said Ambrose. "I know how dangerous this is, and I know you haven't had much schooling. I also know that my spell directed me to those to rely on in dire need, and it directed me to you two. You've proven that spell was right when you took on Malistere's minions together."

"With your help," I stated.

"Yeah," said Emily. "Of course we also took on the undead of Unicorn Way and Rattlebones, and the Iron Golem together. Face it, Gen; together we're an unstoppable force."

"Maybe," I said.

"Gen, let's do what they brought us here for."

"You sure are brave Em, I'll give you that. I guess someone should be out there to have your back."

"Good," said Ambrose. "I should inform your teachers that you won't be attending classes so often, for you'll be too busy."

"Wait," I said. "Are you saying that instead of classes, we're going to be having an apprentice like training?"

"Basically, yes," he answered. I couldn't help but grin; Emily and I now had equal teachings.

* * *

**That is that; Tell me what you think in reviews!**


	10. Olde Town

**Here it is, my next chapter of Tale of Two Saviors. This is a fun chapter; we get a lot of animation from the characters. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

[First Person, Emily]

So it was time for us to finally do our job; well, at least start doing it again anyway. Genevieve said I was very brave about this, and I guess I have to agree with her. I've been brave about a lot of things since arriving in the spiral. I guess that a key to my maturing process is to separate myself from my abusive class. Now, I can develop into my own person instead of trying to hide it or at least have a fear of being mocked.

Since coming to the spiral, I decided to take every class I could; I never would have agreed to that back at home. Of course, it's as I said, I want to know everything I can to help these people. We already had enough saviors back at home so I was fine on being by myself, but here, everyone was counting on me (and Gen, but her heart's not entirely in it).

As for the hero business, and doing this again, I was admittedly a little nervous. I may have seemed prepared, but that's me being brave. I had no idea what to expect on the road ahead or if Gen and I could even tackle it, but I couldn't give up on these people. If you haven't noticed, I don't like being a hindrance.

* * *

We stopped at the headmaster's office.

"Why are we stopping here?" asked Gen.

"I wish not to discuss things in public," said Ambrose. "Also, I do need to get back to work after you leave."

"Wait, you're not coming with us?"

"Of course he's not, Gen," I said. "Haven't you realized yet this is what we have to do alone?"

"I know that," said Gen, irritated. "I just had hope thinking otherwise. I still think it's irresponsible that he's sending new students out there."

"I'm a little wary of it myself," he said. "Of course, you've already been here for just a couple months and you are fast becoming some of brightest students."

"I don't know about that," said Gen. She then looked at me. "Emily sure knows what she's doing though."

"True," I added. "Of course we still work well and better as a team."

"Exactly Emily," said Ambrose. "Dark times call for exceptional people, and I sense you two are some of the best. You two have demonstrated that you're both capable and unafraid. Sergeant Muldoon in Olde Town needs help. I'd like to see what you two can do to aid the situation there."

"Olde Town," I said. "I don't think we've ever been there."

"Olde Town?" said Gen. "Couldn't think of a better name?" I elbowed her.

"Be nice," I said.

"Anyway," she continued, rubbing her sore ribs. "It would be a nice place to check out. How do we get there?"

"Go to the shopping district and look for the Olde Town gate." He handed us a letter. "Show Muldoon this letter or else he will not let you pass." I took the letter this time.

"Now that I think about it, we've seen that gate countless times," said Gen.

"Yeah," I said. "That's because it was blocked off and when it wasn't we didn't feel like going through."

"Too busy with school work and checking out everywhere else I suppose. I guess our hearts weren't up for that adventure."

"Well, now it's time to go and take it," I said. "Don't worry Headmaster; we'll take care of it. Come on, Gen." We then left to go to Olde Town.

* * *

On our way to Olde Town, walking through the shopping district, I noticed something was off.

"Have you noticed that there are fewer ghosts out today," I said.

"Yeah," said Genevieve. "Normally, that would be a good thing, but it's Halloween."

"Huh," I also noticed something else. "Just listen to us; it sounds like we've been here for years."

"Huh," said Genevieve. "I guess we are experienced."

"Anyway," I continued. "Normally ghosts are swarming the streets this time of year, but as we went through the commons there was only five a street."

"And look at this place," said Genevieve. "There are only three ghosts in this entire district."

"Where are they all going?" I asked.

"To bad we didn't ask Jack about it," said Genevieve. I shook my head.

"You just like hearing him talk."

"I could pass a poetry class with him," she agreed.

"I guess we should go ask him what's going on. That's it; we'll ask Jack what's going on with the ghosts, and then go help Sergeant Muldoon in Olde Town."

"Right, come on," agreed Gen.

* * *

We arrived back in the commons, approaching Jack.

"Hello young wizards," he said. "Classes are not done yet, as they say, so I assume you're here to save the day."

"How do you know we're the saviors?" asked Genevieve. "You didn't know that the last time we talked."

"Gossip travels north, east, west, and south, even through ghosts though they lack a mouth."

"You're right Jack," I said. "We are trying to save the day. Right now, we're concerned about the well-being of the other ghosts."

"That is sweet for you to say, my heart does beat though made of hay. You care, though it was ghosts you fought, and in even more battles to be wrought."

"Jack, don't take this the wrong way, but we fought those ghosts because they were hurting people, and these ghosts are friendly, so we have a reason to care about their well-being."

"Jack's feelings are not one's be to be trod, as I once said, my family is odd. Jack understands the need for you to defend, and to help out these ghosts, my help I will lend."

"Great," said Genevieve. "Now before you say anything…" She took out her charged wand and spun the stars on it. "Little trick I learned," she said. "Now, do you know where all the ghosts have gone?" asked Genevieve, holding the wand in front of him like a microphone. Jack then looked troubled.

"For all the dead, sides they must take, although I fear that is a mistake. From the streets the ghosts have run, and stopped all the Halloween fun."

"Does this have to do with revenge against us?" I asked.

"Does it have to do with us at all?" asked Genevieve.

"Yes and no to both questions asked, the dead are set with an eerie task. Attack the town is what they plan to do, and the defense of the city will fall to you."

"Where are the ghosts now?" I asked.

"In a place where it would not seem, for the dead to dwell or even dream; that is all I have to say, want more answers, see my brother Jack on Unicorn Way." That's when it set in. Genevieve stopped her spinning wand.

"Unicorn Way, that's where all the ghosts went, and they're probably there right now."

"The ghosts have to take sides," said Genevieve. "But the ghosts are friendly, and they shouldn't be forced into that."

"Well someone wants to start a war over the city, Gen, and _wars_ are not friendly."

"You really think it's war that it's leading too?"

"Jack said they were going to 'attack the town,' what else could it mean?"

"Wait," noticed Gen.

"Yeah," I said coming to the same conclusion.

"You think he might mean-"

"Attack Olde Town," we said at the same time. We looked at Jack and he nodded.

"This is obviously their new plan of action to start Wizard City's destruction," I deduced.

"There was already a rise of undead happening on Unicorn Way, somebody was planning this for weeks while we were studying," deduced Gen.

"They also probably decided to use Halloween to their advantage, to gather more ghosts into their militia, willingly or not."

"If this was getting out of hand, why didn't the people on Unicorn Way ask for our help in controlling it?"

"We had our studies to be concerned with," I reasoned. "We needed to be more learned for this challenge and it just started to get really un-detainable about now."

"Well that answers every question except who's behind all of this," said Gen. "It can't be Rattlebones, because he was exorcised, and I'm pretty sure Malistere wouldn't be running something this petty." We thought about it.

"Jack," I asked. "Do you know who's organizing the deadly forces?"

"Not much has reached mine ear, but there is something I did hear. From my brother Jack, he who resides there, he said the leading ghost is full of despair."

"Full of despair," I questioned.

"Well that narrows it down to every single ghost," said Gen, writing down Jack's last rhyme.

"That is all that can be said, all the knowledge inside my head," said Jack.

"So it's just a ghost; that's easy, all we have to do is take out the head guy and everything else will fall apart. Come on, Em." She started to head towards Unicorn way. I stopped her.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"To Unicorn Way to fight the ghost," said Gen.

"A ghost we don't know much about yet. There's probably a reason _this_ ghost is leading the others."

"I'm _pretty_ sure we can find out what's going on when we get to Unicorn way," said Gen.

"Yeah, but Professor Ambrose that Olde town is facing problems, what if it's really in trouble right now?"

"Yeah it's trouble, an army is going to attack it."

"I mean besides that, and we should go let them know they have nothing to worry about even if it is alright."

"Fine," she said. "You win, let's go to Olde Town."

* * *

Arriving in a new place is sure awful, as in I'm 'full of awe'. The town didn't have any ghosts or undead at all, nothing to take care off. The town at first glance was huge, at least compared to everywhere I've been in the city so far. By itself, it wasn't as big as a town _I'd_ know.

"Nothing to fight here," said Gen. "Should've just gone to Unicorn Way."

"We still need to tell Muldoon we're here to help," I retorted.

"Okay," said Gen. "Well, while we're here, didn't Prospector Zeke say there was a Smith in Olde town?" She pulled out her list.

"Yeah," I said. "He said there was one in every part of the city."

"Well, let's see if we can't go Smith hunting…hey, he's right over there! That was easy."

Sure enough, there was a Smith next to the first house we passed. We crossed over to take a closer look. There he was, taking a nap.

"So should we tell Zeke he's by the first house, or…" I questioned

"No need to get personal," said Gen. "We'll just tell him that," she said writing it down. We then went back to find Sergeant Muldoon, and as we were going on our way, an old woman called out to us. There was a death student with her eating cookies.

"Hello children," she said.

"Hello Ma'am," I addressed.

"This boy here tells me that you two are the heroes of Unicorn Way," she said gesturing the student munching on cookies.

"Yeah, and maybe we can be the heroes of them again," said Gen. I elbowed her.

"Is this boy a friend of yours, or perhaps a relative," I questioned out of curiosity.

"I can't say technicalities," she said. "All the students from Ravenwood love my baking and sewmanship. I fix their tatters and make sweets for all of them to enjoy, and I even give them rewards for jobs well done; it's almost like I'm everyone's honorary grandmother. Anyway, enough about me, I hear that you two are new to this world, and yet what you've already done for this city is incredible. I take it you're here in Olde Town to aid with our approaching dilemma? Why else would you two be out of class in this time of day?"

"Yeah," I said. "We are. You also raise a good point, classes are still running." I looked at the death student. "I know the death school has independent studies, but shouldn't you be working on that right now?"

"I decided I needed a break," he said eating another cookie.

"I worry with how the death students decide to go about their studies, it's not that organized."

"Our schedule isn't organized, Em. Who are we to throw stones," said Genevieve.

"Good point," I said. "However, who said I liked the disorganized schedule a hundred percent."

I turned back to the old woman. "To return to your question miss, we are here to help. We'll take care of the undead problem."

"Oh thank goodness," she said. "It was starting to worry me. I shouldn't keep you girls away from that."

"It's okay, miss…" said Gen.

"Krendell, Gloria Krendell, and you are?"

"I'm Emily," I said. "This is my sister Genevieve, but you can call her Gen."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Emily, Gen; would you like some cookies before you go?"

"What type are they?" I asked.

"I like to experiment with variety," said Ms. Krendell getting the cookies. "Today it's peanut butter and raisin."

"I'll pass, thank you."

"I'll take a couple," said Gen. "Thank you."

"Good luck, young wizards," she told us before going back inside. Going back on our way, Gen tried her cookies.

"I didn't think they would have nuts," she said. She finished eating them to be polite.

We approached the guards and we were approached by one in gold armor, obviously the one in charge.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

"Excuse us, sir," I said politely. "We need to speak with Sergeant Muldoon."

"That is I," he told us.

"Sergeant Muldoon," I said rummaging through my bag. "The Headmaster gave us this letter to give to you." I handed him the letter; he opened and read it before closing it again.

"This darkness has come upon Wizard City so quickly we're overwhelmed dealing with it. I'm so glad you two are here to help." I guess we didn't need to explain who we were. "You two are the duo of students everyone is talking about, aren't you?"

"Yes sir," said Genevieve giving a salute. "I'm Genevieve the diviner."

"You can call her Gen," I said. "I'm her sister, Emily the pyromancer."

"Everyone says you two are Wizard City's last hope, and you've just enrolled!"

"Two months ago," clarified Genevieve. "I guess that's still pretty recent. Honestly, I think people are putting too much trust in us."

"You are the heroes of Unicorn Way, are you not?"

"Yes," said Genevieve. "But that was one street, and everyone is asking us to save a city."

"We will," I reassured her, "one section of the city at a time. Besides, it can't be that hard; we did take down the Iron Golem together: the thing everyone said was undefeatable. _You_ should have more trust in **us**."

"Well, we did save Unicorn Way, I guess it wouldn't be that hard to save Olde town at least."

"Yes, well you did a good job spooking the spooks on Unicorn Way, but evil is on the move." We listened intently to what he had to say. "Push down in one place and evil pops up somewhere else. Now it's Olde Town's turn. If we lose control of Olde Town to the undead, all the other streets will be isolated and will fall."

"So that's why Olde Town is being targeted," I said. "If _it_ falls, so does the city. Olde town is the oldest part of Wizard City, the heart if you will, and most of the city is connected by this town. Taking out Olde Town is a shortcut to victory, no wonder it's a Plan B."

"Yes, that is exactly the point," said Muldoon. "Here is what we need you two to do. According to reliable sources, the one orchestrating this attack is Lady Blackhope."

"Of course," said Gen. "The ghost on Unicorn Way, I forgot about her."

"If the legions are coming from there, of course she'd be the one in charge," I agreed.

"It also matches what Jack told us," said Genevieve pulling out her notes. "He said, and I'm paraphrasing, 'the one in charge is a ghost full of despair.' Get it, 'Blackhope,' it can't be a more depressing name."

"What is Lady Blackhope exactly?" I asked. "We know she's a ghost."

"She is a banshee, and a powerful one," explained Muldoon.

Banshees: from what I know about them they are spirits who were eerily beautiful on their own, but turn monstrous when they wail and scream at the top of their lungs, if ghosts breathed that is. In some other legends I've heard they used magic to curse families. I take it, Lady Blackhope knew magic as well, but it was more dramatic then subtle.

Muldoon continued explaining, "She was the only undead and evil resident, locked in a tower on Unicorn Way and kept at bay with a combination of life and death magic. Of course now, something has let her loose so she is free to enact her evil on Wizard City once more.

"Malistere," I said under my breath. Muldoon continued.

"Your mission to protect Olde Town and Wizard City from this attack, you must stop it from ever happening. To dissolve her legions, and allow the death students to return them to the netherworld, you must defeat Lady Blackhope and lock her in her tower on Unicorn Way. Do this, and in return, I'll let you move through the rest of the city."

"You can count on us," said Gen. "We won't let this city fall. Let's go, Em."

"Excuse me," said another guard. "I don't think I've made their acquaintance yet."

"Get back to your post, private Guildenstern," said Muldoon.

"Where have I heard that name before," said Gen.

"It's okay," I said. "I'm Emily, and this is my sister Genevieve."

"Most people call me Gen," said Genevieve.

"It's always good to see fresh faces in Wizard City. I wish I had studied to become a wizard instead of…becoming a town guard-not that I don't take my post for granted, Sergeant," he said saluting.

"At ease," said Muldoon.

"Is there anything you want to tell us," said Gen. "We're kind of in a hurry."

"Anyway," said the Guildenstern. "I found this book on one of the benches while I was strolling to work this morning." We took the book from him.

"Plants and their survival of different weather conditions?" I read.

"Sounds…interesting," said Gen.

"It looks important and I don't have time to drop it by the Library," said Guildenstern. "You are passing through the commons?"

"Quickest way to Unicorn Way," said Gen.

"I was wondering if you can take the book to the library for me."

"Um," said Gen nervously. I spoke up.

"It's just a quick drop-off; of course we can do that."

"Thank you," said Guildenstern before returning to his post. We then left to return the book and then stop an invasion.

* * *

Once in the Library Gen found we didn't have the time to talk to Boris for we headed straight for the librarian, who was according to the nametag on his desk, Harold Argleston.

"You say that you are returning a book that someone dropped?"

"Yes," we said at the same time.

"You two are quite the good sports to take out of your day to do that." Genevieve giggled. "Thank you for doing that."

"You're welcome," I said.

"Yeah, you're welcome," said Gen. Mr. Argleston looked the book over, flipping through it, probably checking to see who took it out, how long ago, and if he needed to fine someone.

"Oh, hang on there! This book does not belong to the Library. Inside the cover it states "Property of Sabrina Greenstar."

"Does this mean we'll have to interrupt her class?" asked Gen.

"No, I think not," said Mr. Argleston. "Sabrina is in a higher grade and has a different schedule than most other students. She probably dropped the book on her way to the Fairegrounds. You best give it to her yourself so she's no longer looking for it."

"The Fairegrounds are in the commons as well," I said. "This should also be quick; let's go."

On our way to the Fairegrounds, Gen commented on the students out of class.

"If these students are on different schedules because of their higher skill, that must mean we are the same."

"As I said," I told her. "Put more trust in us."

Once in the Fairegrounds, we found Sabrina where she usually was when we were there. She was on her platform, experimenting with life magic. We approached her and told her about the book we were returning.

"You're returning the book I left on a bench? I didn't have one with me today. Maybe I lost it last week."

"You must have," said Gen. "The book cover says it belongs to you." Genevieve showed her the book.

"Oh, that book! I gave that book to Regina for her to use for her science project."

"She's doing another one?" I asked.

"Yes, professor Balestrom keeps students awfully busy in the later years."

"That makes me worried," said Gen.

"You should return the book to her," said Sabrina. "She's just inside Golem Court right now."

"I guess this will _also_ be quick," said Genevieve exasperated. "Come on."

We made it to Golem court super quick. Regina was where she usually was, and she was a bit frantic, working on her project. I couldn't see what it was from where we were, but I could tell she was building something.

"Regina," I called out. She turned to look at us.

"Hey Emily," she said. "Hello Genevieve," she added.

"You left your book on a bench," said Gen.

"I left my book on a bench?" said Regina. "What book?" I took out the book and showed it to her. Her eyes got big, and she took the book from me.

"Oh, yes! This has all the notes I was taking on my science project. I'm so glad you found this. It was a lot of work for me! Thank you ever so much!"

"You're welcome, Regina," I said. "Now if you excuse us, we need to deal with something on Unicorn Way."

"Oh yes, Sabrina said something bad was happening there. Don't let me keep you."

"See ya, Regina," said Gen.

* * *

The Professor had taken us out of class at two-o'clock, and now it was three. We couldn't waste any more time. We headed straight to Unicorn Way. Once there, the park was really crowded again. We came there so often that people didn't applaud our arrival anymore, but everyone still noticed when we showed up. Delia and Ceren were by the Gazebo organizing everything once again.

"Another evacuation of the street," I asked in our approach.

"What do you expect we do?" said Delia. "Do you want us to leave people trapped in their homes?"

"The dead aren't raiding the homes this time," said Ceren. "Of course, all the ghosts and skeletons on the street are hostile. The best we can do is get the residents out of harm's way."

"Ghosts _and_ Skeletons," said Gen.

"No Fairies," I questioned.

"No Fairies," said Delia. "They left as soon as Rattlebones did. Of course, the streets are still full of lost souls, skeletal pirates, skeletal soldiers, and even the colored souls from the Halloween festivities."

"It's too much for us to handle," said Ceren. "We sent in volunteer students and even some guards to survey the situation, and maybe lower the militia's count. They came back pretty beat up."

"They were lucky to get here alive," said Delia. "We were able to find out the leader of the operation and give the reports to Olde Town: the headquarters for the Wizard City guard infantry."

"Another reason why the town is a target," said Gen.

"Yes," said Ceren. "The rumors have been confirmed that the militia of the dead forming on Unicorn Way _is_ headed to attack Olde Town: the heart of the city."

"They'll have to get through this park first, then make their way through the commons, shopping district, and once those three areas have been cut through they'll lay a destructive siege of Olde Town, making their little war will be won," explained Delia.

"Those areas are mostly full of civilians," said Ceren. "It won't be much of a fight for them."

"The students will be able to fight them off right," I said.

"They might be able to handle it a little," said Delia. "Not everyone is as good as you though."

"Speaking of which," said Ceren. "You do know how you can make this easier for us, right?"

"We beat the boss," said Gen.

"Yes," said Delia. "If you two defeat Lady Blackhope and lock her in tower, it will cut her off from her army and weaken her magical hold on them."

"We suspect if you do so the militia will be cut down in half," said Ceren. "We would be able to handle it from there."

"All the Halloween ghosts would return to their respective streets for the rest of October, and the soldiers would be sent back to wherever they came from," said Delia.

"Her army is nearly overwhelming," said Ceren, "which is why we all requested your help."

"Oh so you did ask for help," said Gen.

"Well, you couldn't have asked at a better time," I said. "Let's go and get this over with."

"Be careful you two," said Delia. "It's a lot more dangerous this time." We nodded in agreement. I waved my wand as to find Lady Blackhope's tower, and we followed it.

Heading out there, we saw Delia was right. There had to be protective enchantments along the camp's edge to keep the people safe and fences to keep children from crossing them. There were ghosts right outside the border and they were _on the lawn_.

"So much for sidewalk safety," said Gen.

"The streets are packed," I commented. "We need to put a stop to this."

"How are we going to get through," asked Gen.

"We'll stick to the sidewalk," I said nervously, not sure if that would work.

"Which the ghosts are roaming on," Gen retorted.

"We'll run," I said. "Also, maybe some are friendly. Jack did say some were unwilling to fight."

"Okay," said Gen, taking a deep breath.

"On the count of three, we'll dash," I said. Gen nodded, "Ready? Okay: 1…2…3!"

We ran for it, dodging the ghosts and showing off our wands, with me firing sparks and both of us warning them not to mess with us. Some tried to attack us, others stayed out of it, the rest _tried_ to stay out of it. Our reputation preceded us; they remembered we were the heroes of Unicorn Way. Once we turned the corner we saw the skeleton soldiers and more colored souls, down the street and by the tower.

"This does look pretty bad," said Gen. "Let's go fight this Banshee." To avoid getting attacked by the full front of the militia, we made our way inside Lady Blackhope's tower.

* * *

We did stop to learn a little bit about Lady Blackhope while we were in the commons by asking Jack and Sabrina about her. Apparently, the main magic she uses is Life. That is how she is able to keep her hold on the dead, because Life magic is painful to them. It is also why she resides on Unicorn way and why they needed an unconventional Life magic to seal her in. Luckily, Genevieve and I can make our own unconventional Life magic. I was also lucky I was wearing my sturdy coat that protected against that stuff.

Entering the tower, we saw Lady Blackhope with a skeletal pirate. Lady Blackhope looked as if she was very beautiful when she was alive; then she spoke, and as she did it was with a rasp which made me understand why she was feared.

"You must be the two Wizards who fight the undead."

"Yes," I said with a twinge of fear. "That's us."

"We're here to stop you Lady Blackhope," said Gen. "We're going to lock you in your tower for good." She scoffed.

"Mere mortals should not dabble in the affairs of the Undead. Perish now, Wizards!" Gen probably shouldn't have said that, for she just made her mad. Of course, she was going to try to kill us anyway.

"Em, what magic do skeletal pirate's favor?"

"Death," I answered.

"Okay," she said, trying to think. "You're wearing a sturdy coat but also your ruby slippers, while I'm wearing my Rattlebones' cowl."

"What are you saying," I said.

"I was going to say that you should handle the skeleton while I handle the ghost, but you're more prepared for her than me and you deserve some time outside your comfort zone."

"I get it," I said. "I'll take Lady Blackhope, you can take the pirate."

So once again, I occupied the Sun Circle, while Genevieve occupied the Eye, whilst Lady Blackhope occupied the Dagger circle, and the pirate occupied the Key. We took out our decks, before me were a bunch of cards for my fire spells. I decided to start with something simple; we would strike first. For our turn, I threw out a card, made the symbol of a flame, and blasted that card with the fire from my wand which made a fire to blast Lady Blackhope; it didn't do much damage. Meanwhile, Gen passed.

"Why are you passing?" I said a little panicked.

"I've got an idea," she reassured me. Now it was their turn. Lady Blackhope tried to hit me with a Life spell but luckily it fizzled and the Pirate struck Genevieve with a Scarab.

For the next turn, I picked out something more difficult.

"_Amongst the woods and the trees, I bring a loyal elf to thee. True archer, shoot and hit your mark, and let thy fire banish the dark_," I spouted quickly, firing a Fire Elf, at Lady Blackhope. It wasn't enough to take her out, but it did plenty of damage. Gen readied her spell.

"Thunder and Lightning, not just that, I call forth the storm of Lightning Bats!

When her bats were summoned, they joined together to create a beam that obliterated the pirate in one blast. All that was left was Lady Blackhope. Lady Blackhope summoned a Bloodbat to attack me.

"I'll just let you handle the rest, Em." Lady Blackhope was almost finished; the Fire elf was wearing her down. I pulled out my last spell.

"_From my words I doth ignite, a cat to bring within my sight; its foes and mine: entertwined; the battle's brought, now burn through this fight_!" With that, I sent a Firecat in her direction, which dispelled her being.

"Another anti-climactic battle," said Gen.

"It's not that hard with both of us fighting," I reasoned. "Let's get out of here and lock her back in again."

Once outside, we noticed the forces were starting to dwindle. The skeletal soldiers were starting to fall apart and the Halloween ghosts were free from their hold and were struggling to leave.

"How are we going to lock the door?" asked Gen. "They said we need unconventional Life magic to seal it, and we don't know any death magic."

"How about our Life magic?" I said. "All we need to do is combine my Fire magic with your Storm magic." I created a spark with my wand.

"My magic is pretty powerful," said Gen. "I don't want to blow up the door."

"It should work," I encouraged.

"Fine," said Gen caving. "Thunder and lightning-not just that-I call forth a lightning bat." I lightning bat then appeared out of nowhere. "Hey there little guy," said Gen holding out her hand. It landed on her hand and she stroked its fur, getting a few static bursts from it. "Make the flame, Em." I waved my wand creating the magic fire. "Do it Batty!"

The bat shot a beam of electrical echo-location at my flame. The electricity and flame collided, and in that collision the magic turned green. we had to will the magic to turn into a seal on the tower. It encompassed the tower, and a symbol of the combined images of storm and fire glimmered on the door briefly before the magic faded.

"Did it work," asked Gen.

"It worked," I said confidently. You're probably wondering how we knew how to do that. If you go back a few weeks, you will find that we learned about defensive spells like that. After sealing the tower, the ghosts were finally free and went flying back to their streets; also the skeletal soldiers completely fell to bits. I guess it was her magic that brought them there and kept them there, and now without it they were going back.

"Let's go tell the others," said Gen, whose lightning bat had already left.

Things were less chaotic now; the ghosts and skeletons stayed on the road. Everyone was delighted to see this development; everyone cheered as we came by. We approached Ceren and Delia.

"The Heroes of Unicorn Way have saved us yet again," said Ceren happily.

"It should be easier for us now," said Delia. "We can get back to work at clearing the streets. Hopefully we _will_ be done by Halloween this time."

"We should report to Sergeant Muldoon that we've done the deed," I said.

"I'm sure everyone else will want to know about this," said Ceren.

"I'm sure we can tell them soon enough," added Delia.

"Wait, what time is it?" I asked.

"Classes just let out," said Delia.

"Great, we don't have to go back to class," said Gen.

"We do have to check on homework though," I said.

"Aw," said Genevieve. "Just when I thought we were in the clear."

* * *

Along the way to Olde town, we saw that things were back to normal: the ghosts were back on the streets and people could enjoy the Halloween festivities again. One kid we saw had turned herself into a horde of bats. Jack meanwhile thanked us in rhyme.

"Thank the young wizards who are brave of heart; you've saved the ghosts and have done your part!"

"You're welcome, Jack," I said as we passed.

"Now the ghosts are here to stay, that is at least until Halloween day. With the ghosts, everyone

can have their fun, not be chased and on the run."

"Well, we'd love to stay," I told him. "Of course we need to tell Sergeant Muldoon everything is taken care of."

"Off you go then, until I see you again."

We made it into Olde town and we were surprised to not see ghosts there.

"This town is home to the infantry," I said. "Maybe they're too paranoid to let in ghosts."

"Speaking of, there's Sergeant Muldoon," said Gen. We approached him and told him of what we accomplished.

"So you beat the ghost, did you? Very impressive! None of the guards were brave enough to face her."

"That's probably because they don't know magic," I said.

"Well, with Olde Town secure, I feel better about letting you through to the other streets. But be careful, understand? Something's going on…this place is not as safe as it seems!"

"We know," we both said at the same time. We were called to Wizard City for a reason.

"Well, I'm hearing fearful rumors about a big, nasty Wraith named Lord Nightshade roaming around. My guess is that he's responsible for much of the trouble Wizard City now faces."

"Are you saying that he has a magic stronger than Lady Blackhope?" I questioned.

"You think maybe he let her out of her tower?" questioned Gen.

"Of course he's probably having help," I said. "I mean, Malistere was behind the Fairy plot of Rattlebones."

"Lord Nightshade is probably his number two then," reasoned Gen. We turned back to the Sergeant.

"Don't worry Sergeant," I said. "We're not planning on visiting the other streets yet."

"Yeah," said Gen, "We're going to see everything Olde Town has to offer first."

"I believe that is a wise move," said the Sergeant, straightening up.

"Just tell us if any of the other streets are facing any trouble, and we'll help out," I reassured him.

"Will do, miss," said Muldoon. Next up was for us was a grueling task, which was our homework assignment.

* * *

We decided to spend the rest of our day working on our homework. I had to write a paper relating old Pyromacy with new Pyromacy, differences and similarities in techniques, how it's used in past and present careers, and how my career choice plays a part in it. Gen was lucky; she had to do a re-enactment. Still, we weren't present for the entirety of the class, so we had to do research at the library.

After our research for the better part of Friday, we wrote out our projects on Saturday. I was done, but Genevieve still needed to practice.

"You can practice all day tomorrow," I reasoned. "I want to see more of Olde Town today; get out of this dorm room."

"Okay fine," Gen caved. "You win; let's go see Olde Town."

Leaving the dorm, we noticed how everyone was talking about what we did yesterday. When we ran into them they congratulated us on a job well done, and for saving the city once again. Genevieve kept commenting that we didn't have to do a lot yet we were getting all the credit.

"People just need someone or something to inspire them sometimes," I told her.

Once in Olde Town, we stopped at Gloria Krendell's for some cookies (Oatmeal raison this time, so we both dug in), then continued exploring the rest of the city. We stumbled upon a quaint little cottage by a river and across a bridge. It turns out this quaint little cottage was a shop; it was a workshop for crafters and a store for craft ingredients. Genevieve was not at all interested in anything the shop had to offer. I however knew that crafting was somewhat important to both of our schools, so I decided to give it a try.

"Greetings, young Wizards! So you're interested in learning about crafting?"

"Yes we are ma'am," I said to Ms. Tangletree, as her nametag implied.

"Meh," said Gen. I elbowed her.

"Wonderful," said Ms. Tangletree. "Let's get started with your first lesson. The first rule is to have a clean, well-lit place to work. For that, you'll need a Basic Crafting Table."

"Too bad we don't have one," said Gen. "Nice meeting you." She started to leave. I stopped her.

"I'll be happy to make you one, if you gather the supplies. We will need some Mist Wood. You can Mist Wood growing all over Wizard City. Bring that Mist Wood back to me, and we'll soon have you a nice new place to work!"

"We'll go get that Mist Wood then," I said. We then headed out.

"What are you dragging me into!?" said Gen.

"Something that would be useful for both our schools," I said irritated.

"You're not my mom; you can't force me to do things like this!"

"You don't have to do it; I just don't want you wandering the city alone."

"There you go again," she said indignant.

"I'm not worried about you; I just want to see it too."

"Then don't do the class."

"You can't force me not to do things. Ever since I heard about it I was interested, so I'm going to try it out."

"Okay," she said. "But couldn't you have just given her some Mist Wood you already have on you? We have lots!"

"I think she wants fresh Mist Wood. Also, it gives us a chance to talk about this without you being rude Ms. Tangletree."

We were in the shopping district at that point, looking for Mist Wood on the grassy areas behind the buildings. We had just about finished that conversation when we found some Mist Wood. Gathering it up, we took it back to Ms. Tangletree in Olde town.

"That Mist Wood should do nicely," said Ms. Tangletree when she saw the Mist Wood. She then got to work with hammer, plane and saw. In a few moments later we had a nice fancy work table.

"Now with a Basic Crafting Table, you have a place to work!" Gen even had to admit: it was a nice table. Ms. Tangletree continued, "Now with your work-table, you can begin to learn the fine trade of crafting, making your own items." She began the lesson.

"First, you should place the Basic Crafting Table in your dorm room or castle. Your first assignment is to make two Daggers of Absolution. You should have no difficulty."

"Oh no," said Gen, getting sarcastic. "No problem at all, you just want us to make **daggers**. Why should we have any difficulty at all?"

"Genevieve," I said. Saying her name like that usually meant I wasn't happy with her. "Relax, okay, I know the basics when it comes to crafting. The fire school teaches you."

"Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" said Gen.

"Didn't they teach you as well?"

"You know how eccentric my teacher gets; I usually don't pay attention when he talks about that stuff."

"You should be okay," I told her reassuringly. "It's why you're a Storm student." I turned back to Ms. Tangletree. "What do we need to do to get started?"

"You'll need to buy a recipe from me, and then gather the required ingredients. When you got all of your ingredients, use your Basic Crafting Table to make the athames. When you have two Daggers of Absolution, bring them back to me and I'll award you both a novice crafter badge. So remember to bring them here when you're finished. Good Luck! I can't wait to see them!"

So, we did as she asked, with Genevieve's 'belly aching'. I bought a recipe and we looked it over.

"Where are we supposed to find Sapphires and Black Coals?" grumbled Genevieve.

"This is a reagent store," I said. "I'm sure they have some."

"And if they don't?" I walked up to the reagent vendor, by the name of his name-tag, Elmer Meadowgrass and asked him if he had sapphires and black coals. He asked how many I wanted.

"See Gen," I said. "They have them." We bought the reagents we needed.

"Oh smooth move," said Gen. "We spent most of our money on that. You had to sell some deep mushrooms to pay for it. We only have twenty gold coins left."

"After this we don't have to do anything for a while, okay," I said. We headed back to our dorm to begin working.

* * *

Once in the dorm, we placed our worktable by the far window. You're probably wondering how we could carry the table home. Um, magic bag; magic wands; duh. We laid out our ingredients, and went to work. We mixed, we hammered, we heated, we intertwined, and we even added magic. After an hour of crafting, we had completed one blade. Wielding it in my hand, I could tell it provided more magical strength than my Novice Athame; hopefully I could keep the blade.

We had to wait an hour for the table to be cleaned up and cooled down enough to make the next dagger. We took a break and had dinner. Once the table was ready again, we got back to work and made the second dagger. We were so full of relief when we were finished we were hesitant to go back outside. We felt like collapsing into bed and sleeping the rest of the night away. Of course, we still had some time left before nine-thirty, which is when we fell asleep on the weekends. Thus, we headed out to go get our badges.

"Those are quite nice, indeed!" said Ms. Tangletree when we presented her the blades. "I am pleased to award you both a Novice Crafter badge. Display them with pride! When you earn new badges in crafting, you can buy more advanced recipes allowing you to create more powerful items." We took our badges and displayed them on our persons, even Gen was beaming. Ms. Tangletree then continued, "I said I could get you started, and you certainly grasped the fundamentals of crafting. That's all I can teach you."

"Okay, that's fine," said Gen. "Because we don't have any more money. Good bye." I stopped her.

"It looks like you want us to keep learning this," I said to Ms. Tangletree.

"It is a useful trade," she said. "However, to become a Master Artisan, you must learn the crafting styles of all the worlds of the Spiral."

"We're still in school," said Gen.

"If you _do_ wish to continue your studies, you should go to speak with Wul'yahm of Krokotopia. He will be happy to continue your training."

"If we even go there this year," said Gen to me.

"We'll keep that in mind," I said. We then left to head back to our dorm, tired from a long day. Thankfully, Ms. Tangletree let us keep the blades.

"Even if it was a grueling task," said Genevieve. "It is nice to be able to tell people I can craft some."

"Good to hear it," I said. We were just entering the commons, when we had run into Boris Tallstaff. He wanted to do an article on us in the paper about our feats in saving the city once again from the undead. We figured it wouldn't hurt to do a quick interview and tell the people our perspective. The interview lasted half an hour. We then headed back to our dorm, ready to call it a night half an hour earlier than usual.

* * *

The next day, Genevieve took my word and spent most of it practicing her re-enactment. We took a short break to shower and read the article Boris wrote about us. Of course, after six long hours of rehearsal, I was getting bored.

"You can't leave," protested Genevieve. "I need someone to judge me."

"I've been judging for six hours," I protested back. "Are you sure you haven't worked out every kink."

"I'm not actually sure," said Gen.

"Great," I said. "You can think about it. If you find that you missed anything, come and get me. Meanwhile, as I said, I am bored, I'm going out to look around."

After a moment of confliction, Genevieve decided to come with me. Going out amongst the paper readers, they cheered as they saw us, for they got to hear about our exploits in a close up. As of Genevieve's words, it still wasn't much we did.

We decided to go investigate Olde Town some more. We stopped by Ms. Krendell's for cookies (Plain, smooth peanut butter cookies this time, so we both had one), and then looked around the rest of the town. Looking around the town on that day we ran into a bear-man next to a long Viking boat, which we didn't see the day before. Vikings have always fascinated me, from their mythology, cold climate, and all the way down to their cool weapons; it's also a plus that they have dragons. Long story short, I decided to go talk to him because I thought he was cool.

"Hey there," I said. "You must be new to the city. I'm Emily; this is my sister Genevieve, but you can call her Gen."

"Hey," said Gen. He then introduced himself.

"I am Baldur Goldpaws, a trader from far off Grizzleheim, and I have just discovered this world! I have sailed across the great sea of skies establishing new ports to trade my wares in. I would like to establish trade relations with the merchants here, if they be friendly."

"Don't worry," said Gen. "I'm pretty sure they would love to set up trade relations with you."

"That is pleasant to hear," said Baldur. "Can you two help me?"

"Would you like a guide?" I asked.

"No, I believe this could be a simple task," he said. "The winds of the sky threaten to rip my boat out of this poorly fastened docking rope. I must stay here with it to make sure nothing happens. Of course, you two are free to move as you please."

"You want us to meet with the merchants?" asked Genevieve.

"We can do that," I said. "We have nothing better to do."

"My project," reminded Gen.

"As I said, I have nothing better to do," I repeated.

"**My project**!" she uttered again.

"If you're that worried, go judge it yourself. I need stimulation," I told her. I turned back to Baldur. "Who do you need me to see?"

"If Prospector Zeke is here, go speak to him. Then speak to your treasure card dealer, and anyone who sells furniture."

"Mr. Argleston," I commented. "And… I don't know the last one."

"Well that's why I'm here to help you," said Genevieve. "We'll get right on that Mr. Goldpaws."

* * *

We found Prospector Zeke in the commons next to the seamstress's cart where he usually was.

"Hey dere, young Wizards. How's it goin' fer ya so far?" We then explained everything about Baldur Goldpaws and his notion for trade relations between Grizzleheim and Wizard City.

"Dat's great! Ol 'Zeke's always happy to do bizness with da bears. Tell Baldur I'll trade with him."

"Thanks Zeke," I said as we left to go talk with Mr. Argleston in the Library.

At the Library, we approached Mr. Argleston at the front desk.

"Hello there, you two," he said. We had become regulars at the library, we didn't need much introduction. "What brings you to the Library today? Can I help you find any book or card in particular?"

"Well, Mr. Argleston," said Gen. "You deal with treasure cards, right?"

"Indeed," said Mr. Argleston.

"Well, you see," I said. "There is there bear trader who just arrived in Olde Town by the name of Baldur Goldpaws."

"He's from Grizzleheim," added Genevieve.

"Yes," I continued. "He's trying to set up trade agreements between Wizard City and Grizzleheim, and one of the trades he wants to set up is with the Treasure card dealer which is you."

"Oh, that sound wonderful!" said Mr. Argleston. "I would be happy to trade treasure cards with Grizzleheim. I wonder if we could set up a Library exchange program…"

"I think he's saying yes," said Gen as he trailed on.

"Okay," I said. "What about the furniture dealer?"

"I think I may of saw a furniture shop in the shopping district," said Gen.

"Then let's go," I said, as we headed out the door.

* * *

Luckily, we were able to find the furniture shop in the shopping district, with a little help from Gen's wand and the giant flashing arrows. Entering the shop, we found the guy to look awfully familiar.

"Welcome to my shop, young Wizards! Can I interest you in some furniture for your dorm rooms?"

"We share one," said Gen blankly.

"Now I know who he is," I said. I could recognize the voice. "You told us about castles."

"Yep," he said. "Aubert Quickhammer, at your service; what can I help you with?"

"Well, there was this bear trader," said Genevieve, "with a flying boat from Grizzleheim, and he was wondering…"

"That's great!" said Aubert.

"You didn't let me finish," said Gen.

"A bear trader wants to set up trade relations, right? Well I offer a selection of furnishings from across the Spiral. Adding imports from Grizzleheim will certainly be good for my business."

"Okay then," said Gen. "We'll go tell Baldur the good news."

* * *

"Did you get the agreement from the three merchants?" said Baldur as we approached him.

"We sure did," I said.

"Good! You have brought two worlds closer together. You have my thanks."

"Great," said Gen. "Now I'm getting kind of hungry. We should head back to our dorm, get some dinner, and continue working on my project."

"Wait," said Baldur. "In gratitude for helping me, I'd like you to share dinner with me."

"I would've been worried if he said 'have us for dinner'," said Gen to me. I elbowed her.

"We'd love to have dinner with you," I told him.

His dinner consisted mostly of salted fish, which he managed to cook for us.

"I really can't thank you enough," he said while we ate.

"It was no problem," I said with my mouth full.

"I don't think dinner is enough to reward you for your efforts in getting your merchants to trade with my world."

"I think it's enough," said Gen after swallowing. Baldur pondered something for a moment, and then he spoke again.

"Would you like to take a quick trip with me to visit Grizzleheim, my home? It will not take long, now that I know the way. You can greet with some tradesmen from Grizzleheim, and see if they will trade with Wizard City." We had stopped eating at what he said.

"A field trip to a world of Vikings sounds _amazing_!" I sqeeed; Gen however, was more serious.

"Haha, um, Baldur how long would the trip take?" Baldur thought about it.

"It took me ten weeks to reach this world, but if I remove all the misadventures that would be…five days travel to Grizzleheim."

"We'd be gone for ten days at least!" said Gen.

"Come on Gen, a field trip is a field trip; we get to see new sights, take a break from learning, the fun stuff." Gen huffed.

"From what I know, Vikings live in cold climates; I have a feeling I'm going to be cold."

"We'll be fine," I said. "I really, really, really wanna go; PLEEEASE come with me!"

"What about my project due tomorrow as well your paper?"

"We can talk to the headmaster about it; we're going to have to anyway."

"Alright, I'll come with you," said Genevieve smiling.

"Yay," I said in childish and did a little happy dance.

"I have a hard time telling who's more mature out of us both," snarked Gen.

* * *

We talked to the headmaster about the trip to Grizzleheim to set up trade relations; I was a little afraid he was going to say no.

"It would be a good idea to set up trade relations with Grizzleheim," said Professor Ambrose. "And also I do think it's a good idea for you two to see the other worlds. There's just your schoolwork to be concerned about."

"We could turn our projects today, and then, what's ten days?" I bargained. "It'd be okay to miss out on that much, right? I mean we are working free-lance."

"You do have a point, Emily," said Ambrose. "Very well; I'll inform your teachers of your absence and you can set out tomorrow. First though, you better turn in your projects."

"Okay," I said as Gen was turning white as a ghost. "Of course, I need to tell Baldur the good news."

"Let me come with you," Gen squeaked.

As we went to go tell Baldur we could leave with him the next day, Gen chewed me out for not letting her practice more.

"Gen for Pete's sake, I've seen that thing more than anybody and there's nothing wrong with it; YOU'RE GONNA BE FINE!" That was enough to keep her quiet. Baldur was happy to hear the news, and went to prepare to leave the next day.

I turned in my paper, and read it out for Madame Falmea. I then sat and waited for her to grade it for I had nothing better to do. Overall, when she was done grading me, she congratulated me on my A-. When I met up with Gen, it turned out I was right, as she got an A.

The voice commented on how it was going to miss us.

"You just got back, and now you're leaving again."

"Come on voice," I said packing for ten days. "It's just ten days."

"Yeah," said Gen. "You'll hardly miss us."

"That's longer than a week!"

"Our future vacations are going to be longer than a week," I commented.

"Just think of this as desensitization," said Gen. "Easing you into when we're gone for long periods."

"I'm still going to miss you," said the voice.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," I said. "You just need to tolerate us being gone."

That conversation made me miss my family. I wondered how they were doing without us there. If only I could tell them what we were doing and have them not freak out about it.

* * *

**How was that? The story we get into more of it in the next chapter, which you will have to watch out for. Stay tuned! Tell me what you think in reviews!**


	11. Triton Avenue part 1

**Here is my next chapter! It takes me a month to write these...Anyway, the adventure starts to heat up here! It mostly happens on one day, but it has a few weeks in the beginning. I've recently been looking at some deep content of my life and adult content in fiction; also learning to deal with tyranny of the mob. School will be starting soon, so I don't know how much more I will be able to write. I hope though I might find time. Meanwhile...enjoy what I've already written.**

* * *

I don't know what I was thinking, letting Emily sucker me into that. I was excited over the prospect of a field trip, but why did I agree to go to a warrior world where it would be freezing! Darn Emily's Bambi eyes and convincing words! She always has field day whenever this stuff is related. Didn't she even realize we would have to take a five day boat trip with nothing to eat but fish!

Sure we had a box of thirty banana muffins that Gloria Krendell gave us, but with Baldur's help we finished that in a day! Baldur tried to varietize the fish we ate so we wouldn't get sick of it fast, but after fourteen straight meals of nothing but fish and the rocking boat to boot…I feel sick just thinking about it. I would've hurled over the side, but when I realized the sky has no ground all that was left was to curl up in the bottom of the boat and hope I didn't vomit. I wasn't the only one in this boat; Emily was curled up right next to me, green as moss.

Arriving in the next world did provide a temperature change; that didn't help my ill mood at all. I could barely hear what was going on in conversation; trying to stand up: the waves of dizziness forced me to collapse again. It was too much to bear, so I passed out.

* * *

I woke up next to a fire in a hut of some sort. Emily was awake next to me, covered in a blanket, and eating something from a bowl. Watching her eat something made me want to hurl. She looked at me and smiled. She swallowed what she was eating.

"Hey Gen," she said. "You look worse for ware, anyways, welcome to Grizzleheim!"

"Where are we?" I asked wearily.

"Grizzleheim," she said. "I just said that." I gestured the hut.

"Oh," she said. "Baldur had some friends who were able to help us with our nausea. They deal with a lot of sky-side ailments. I would say seaside, but… it's sky. Anyway, that bowl is for you. Don't worry; it'll help your stomach." I looked in the bowl; it was a bunch of herbs.

"How come I have the feeling this will taste bad?" I asked.

"There's water to wash it down," she said as she pointed to a canteen next to the bowl. She took a sip of hers; that made me want to hurl as well. I popped some herbs in my mouth and took a gulp of water; it went down rough and didn't taste good. I'm surprised I didn't vomit that. After a few minutes, my stomach illness went away.

"Whoever these bears are they're miracle workers," I said.

"Now that we're all better we should go tell them we're okay," said Emily.

"But the fire's so warm," I said.

"I can produce my own fire," she countered. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can head back."

"You want to leave?" I said surprised.

"No," she said. "But I _do_ want to explore the main square."

Exiting the hut, the first thing we encountered was fish hanging to dry. The stench reeked, almost brought my stomach illness back.

"Em, you're lucky you can't smell."

Didn't I mention it earlier? Emily has this thing wrong with her nose. No one knows the problem exactly, but Em always has mucus to spare; it usually comes when she's really hot, cold, and maybe excited or stressed, of course I'm only guessing. Also ever since Emily was really little, as long as she can remember, she has had no sense of smell. Of course, she tells me she can smell when something is really, _really_ strong. I just don't understand it; it can weirdly change her taste buds, to having taste, no taste, and weird taste.

We left the hut and made our way to the docs. They weren't hard to find considering the hut wasn't far away. Baldur was talking to some fellow bears at the docs as they were unloading and loading supplies and wares with his ship.

"Ah," said Baldur noticing us approach. "I see you are feeling better. I take it you two have never been on a boat before."

"We've been on a boat before," I said defensively, "a few times actually."

"We've just never been on a voyage before," clarified Emily.

"Anyways, are you two ready to go talk with the traders of Grizzleheim," said Baldur.

"Yeah," said Emily excitedly. Seriously, she would to live here.

"We'd also like to explore a little if that's okay," I said.

"It's alright," said Baldur. "Just make sure you don't leave the main square. Do not cross the river, I can't have you wandering too far."

"We know our boundaries," said Em. "Right?" she added, looking at me.

In the past, I was grounded for wandering too far. She's one to bring _that_ up; she wandered as well, she just never got grounded for it. The trick was she came back before anyone worried. Sometimes she'd be punished just from the wandering, like when she fell in a swamp and got all dirty. Still, can we even keep this promise? Even though we're older, we walk at our own pace, go our own way, miles away from everyone.

"We'll stay within limits," I said. "Who do we need to meet?"

"You must speak with three merchants," said Baldur. "Thrain Stormfriend, Vidar Silverthread, and Dain Goldwright: let them know I sent you with word of new trade partners."

"And you can't do this because," I asked him.

"I need to prepare the ship for our departure; I will need to send you home once you're done."

"Already?" asked Emily glumly.

"That's a short visit," I added. "A five day boat ride of nausea, fish meals, and boat rocking for a few minutes of talking. Why couldn't _you_ have just done this?"

"I thought you would like a break from studies to have a glimpse of my world," said Baldur. "I'm sorry you can't see more. You have studies to get back to and I promised this would just be about the trade agreement." Emily was making a cartoony sad face. She was upset but was trying to be funny about it; I think Em secretly hopes she was a Viking in her past life.

"We better make the trip count then," said Emily, her face going back to normal.

We started by looking around the place. We saw forges for pottery and weapon making and also some fish baskets and huts along the banks of the river. We saw this field of flowers that played music like an orchestra with an attractive teenager conducting them. Here I thought only bears lived in Grizzleheim; maybe he was just there for the flowers. The last thing we explored was a rainbow bridge connected to this great hall. We were advised not to go into the hall just yet and that was fine with us; we mostly wanted to run around the rainbow bridge and hear the sounds it made by running along the different colours.

After exploring, we decided to go talk to the merchants; we needed a reminder from Baldur of who they were. We then headed into the main square. It was bustling and busy. We figured the only way to find these merchants was if we used Emily's wand for directions. First we sought out Thrain Stormfriend.

"Welcome, young outsiders! Where are you from, and what can I do for you?

"Well he seems nice," said Emily.

"We're from Wizard city," I explained.

"We're here to set up trade agreements with Grizzleheim," added Emily.

"We were wondering if you and your wares would like to be a part of it," I concluded.

"Sounds good to me," said Thrain. "I'll trade with anyone with gold in their pocket."

"Well that's done," said Emily. "Next, Vidar Silverthread."

"He's right over there," said Thrain, pointing to the next stall over.

"Well that's convenient," I said. We approached Vidar at his robe stand.

"You there," said Vidar, pointing at me as we approached. "Can I interest you in a new robe? Or how about you?" he said looking at Emily. "This is a cold land, and you should try to stay warm. What sizes are you?" Emily looked as if she was just about to buy a robe. I wanted to remind her that the robes he sold were meant for bears; instead I tried a different approach.

"I'm sorry, but we're not robe shopping," I said, "besides the robes are too big for us."

"Aw," said Emily disheartened. Emily just wants to go native with the bears.

"We are however setting up a trade agreement between Wizard city and Grizzleheim, and we were wondering if you would like to be a part of it?"

"Hmm," said Vidar, "trade with Wizard City? I can certainly do that! I will have to get some smaller sizes in stock, though…"

"I will be looking forward to it!" said Emily with enthusiasm. Its official, Emily is in love with Grizzleheim.

"Okay," I said. "The last merchant we need to find is Dain Goldwright."

"Oh he's just around the corner," said Vidar.

"Thank you," said Emily as we headed off. It wasn't long before we encountered him at his ring shop. As we approached, he started speaking.

"You look like you could use a new rune-carved ring," he said regarding Emily. "I have just the one in stock…"

"No thank you," said Emily quickly. So Emily may love Vikings, but I guess she will never really like jewelry. "Actually," she continued. "We're here to set up trade between Wizard City and Grizzleheim and we were wondering if you would like to take part in it."

"That sounds like a great idea," said Dain. "Sign me up! I take it Baldur Goldpaws sent you to arrange this. I heard he was coming back today after he left on his trade voyage ten weeks ago."

"Yeah," I said a little surprised. "We're setting up trade with a bunch of merchants."

"And we got agreement from all the traders on Baldur's list," said Emily.

"Well," Dain chuckled at Emily's enthusiasm. She would fit in very well here. "You should head back and tell Baldur that we are willing to trade."

We headed back to Baldur at the docks, skipping in our steps from a job well done.

"They are in agreement then?" asked Baldur as he saw us approach.

"Yep," said Emily. "They all said yes."

"Good news!" said Baldur happily. "We have done well this day."

"Does this mean we're going home now?" I asked.

"The ship is ready to set sail," said Baldur. "Ready yourselves…I will take you home now."

"Yay," I said sarcastically. I dreaded the nausea and fish meals.

"I don't want to leave either," said Emily, misinterpreting my sarcasm.

"It was a pleasure working together," said Baldur. "I wish you both well in your future journeys."

"Don't be like that Baldur," said Emily. "We might see you again someday."

"If we don't have to travel by boat, maybe," I said. Baldur smiled.

"You may be unable to return to Grizzleheim right away, but when you do return, your visit will be marked by kind words and open hearts." Emily smiled back, while mine was a bit half-hearted unfortunately. I don't know if I wanted to come back, Emily loved Grizzleheim more than me. Of course, Emily does need me, just as much as I need her. It may be another adventure we share.

* * *

The next five days weren't so bad; enough spare food was packed for three bears to ration, which was more than enough. Since our stomachs weren't being tormented, Emily and I could enjoy the view of the spiral and sea of skies we sailed through, letting us see all the worlds in grand scale, and also we talked about tales of grandeur with Baldur. During some of those talks, I found out why Emily loves Vikings so much, and it's not just because of dragons and the cold.

"Vikings know how to survive," she explained. "It's a lot better than normal life. It's the idea of roughing it, taking what life throws at you and not going down without a fight. It's about bravery and honour."

"It sounds as if it's an inspiration to you," said Baldur.

"I face a lot of hardships back on my home world. People liked mocking me for my very being, and other times they would threaten me; to be honest, it was a little overwhelming. Most people in my predicament would think of suicide to end it, when you have nothing that they won't mock, that they won't threaten. For some reason I never thought of it."

"I would endure day after day, no matter what was thrown at me. I thought it was never going to end, but then I read this folk tale about a Viking that wanted glory but had acceptance in society. In the end of the story, it turned out his difference was his strength. That story kept me going on hard times, and it harbored my fascination with Vikings and their bravery, because it's what I needed."

"You are indeed very brave, young Emily, and as is you, young Genevieve," said Baldur. We listened in. "I heard of your exploits from my stay in Olde town. Bravery is in many forms, and people exhibit it differently. From you have shouldered from past to present, and the burden you choose to bear, it makes you very brave, and I am proud to consider you a friend."

"As for you, young Genevieve, you who fight alongside her; you may have your own reasons for doing so, but still you show great comradery, which is necessary in battle. Comradery and bravery go hand in hand, so it makes you a brave warrior as well. I'm glad to have known you."

Baldur's words made me think. Emily has had to be brave a lot in her life, she had no choice; as for me I was normal, and that just made me depressed. Still, comradery and bravery go hand in hand as he said. I have to think that I'm brave in giving up my normal life in being with Emily, yet sometimes I think I'm just selfish. I whine when things aren't going my way, and I keep looking for excuses to not do what I don't want to. Sometimes I act like a huge jerk, Emily's the real hero. She is bearing the responsibility, throwing herself into danger to help people; she's understanding, kind and polite with these dangerous situations. She's shown a lot of real bravery while I'm just along for the ride, helping her where I can. I wish I can prove myself somehow, to show I can be just as brave and honorable as Emily.

* * *

We got back on the seventh of November, a school day, and Halloween long over which was Emily's greatest relief. We got back at noon, so it was a little late to head to class. We decided to relax for the rest of the day, unwinding from our travel. Once the day was done, we could probably head to our classes and check what we missed.

Of course, when we headed through Olde town, we were approached by Sergeant Muldoon.

"Oh thank goodness, the heroes of Unicorn way have returned from their voyage."

"What's going on?" asked Emily, catching on to his tone.

"You told me to send news to you if there was anything we needed help with, well something has come up. I would have contacted you five days ago when I first heard about it, but you were abroad."

"What happened?" I asked, suddenly concerned. This happened while we were traveling; we could have been here to help, but we were gone.

"Triton Avenue is in trouble," he said solemnly.

"That's my street!" I said panicked.

"What?" said Emily. "Your street?"

"The storm school's street; the street where storm magic is the strongest; what's going on!?"

"Surely you heard of who's taking care of the problems on Triton Avenue?" said Sergeant Muldoon.

"Yeah, Susie and Arter Gryphonbane; two storm students, why? What's wrong? Did something happen to them?"

"I'll tell you what I know," said Muldoon. "Problems on Triton Avenue started to appear around the middle of October, when you two were still in school. Around that time, in order to stall the problem, Susie and Arter volunteered to take care of it and the street itself. They did fine at first, evacuating the street and making sure everyone had a temporary home in the meantime, staying in Olde town, the commons, and even on the other streets. Then the spirits of Halloween showed up and they caused the problems to be less severe; I'm guessing the dead didn't want the dead and the living ganging up on them. Of course after Halloween was finished and the spirits returned to their own world, the dead on Triton Avenue grew more restless."

"Do Susie and Arter need help now dealing with the dead?" asked Emily.

"It is a bit worse than that," said Sergeant Muldoon.

"How much worse?" I asked.

"Well, in summation, Susie Gryphonbane is asking for help on Triton Avenue, but I can't send aid because we're spread thin dealing with all the other problems in Wizard City. I feel bad leaving her on her own for five days. I told her I couldn't send guards, but I would ask for you two to help her."

"What about her brother?" asked Emily. "Why didn't you mention him?"

"I think her brother is lost, or something like that."

"No wonder she needs help! This is serious! We're not just saving a street but a person! We need to go help her!"

"We need to go talk to the Headmaster first," said Emily. "Who knows how long this will take us and we're in the middle of a school week."

"Alright," I said. "We'll go talk to him first."

* * *

"You think they plan to take out Triton Avenue to get rid of our greatest weapon," I asked Emily on our way to the Headmaster. "If the undead want the city to fall, it would be a smart move to take out the home of Storm magic. Without Storm magic, all other defense we could have we be mediocre."

"Uh huh," said Emily, giving me a blank stare.

"How would we be able to defend ourselves without storm magic? We would be fighting basically an endless fight!"

"You do know I've been helping you, right?" said Emily.

"Yeah, you help me when I can't do anything; but that's because my magic is so powerful it fizzles sometimes."

"You're unbelievable," said Emily exasperated. I realized then what my mistake was.

"Oh, I didn't mean to say your branch of magic sucked, it's just that you have to admit, mine packs more of a punch."

"Yeah, that's true," said Emily, still a bit deflated and annoyed. It wasn't long after that when we arrived in the commons.

"It's weird not seeing any ghosts," said Emily.

"We only saw them for a week, how is it weird?"

"It's not that weird," she clarified. "It is a little though."

We arrived in the headmaster's office and told him about the situation.

"I don't see why you're running this by me, girls," said Ambrose. "I already told you that you have a free-lance schedule. It would be more appropriate to tell your teachers when you _are_ coming into class. Of course, this matter on Triton Avenue is concerning, considering that this will affect your branch of magic Genevieve."

"I know," I told him.

"Also, it will not be easy for you two to fight on that street, considering your own magic; Diviners are immune to most of Storm magic's effects and storm magic weakens the mana of Pyromancers."

"We'll be facing storm magic?" questioned Emily.

"It's a possibility if you remember your encounters on Unicorn way were with darkened Theurgists."

"So not only are the undead trying to take over the streets and weaken the magic there, but they are trying to use the magic the street provides against us?" I asked really concerned about what possible Storm magic they could possess.

"Still, it is only a possibility. The dead are still dead, and it is highly unlikely that they could come to possess something as powerful as Storm magic."

"Phew," I said. "That would be terrifying if that did happen."

"In any case, I would like you girls to prepare yourself for what you have to face. I want you two to re-introduce yourselves to Diego the Duelmaster, who manages the Arena. You do know where the Arena is?"

"Just inside Unicorn way, on the right," said Emily. "We'll go do that Professor."

"I wonder how those guys are doing," I said.

"Oh yeah," said Emily. "Professor, did Ceren and Delia manage to clear all of the undead from the street?"

"Oh yes," said Ambrose. "Just around Halloween had ended, Ceren Nightchant and his friend Delia had managed to remove the last of the undead and get everyone back into their homes. The only creatures one can find there flying around the street are the good fairies."

"Well that's good news," I said as we headed off.

* * *

As we entered Unicorn way, we noticed that the headmaster was right. There were fewer guards than before, people bustling about in their business, and fairies flitting about; singing, dancing, and interacting with the people.

"Now it seems a bit too happy, like a hippie place," I said, "Almost missing the time when this place was in peril."

"Now Gen," said Emily. "Be nice; we're not going to be here very long, just to talk to Diego and brush up on some skills."

We approached the arena, where Diego greeted us.

"Greetings, young wizards," he said with a bow and a flourish of his cape.

"Greetings Diego…Santiego…?"

"I am Diego Santiago Quariquez Ramirez the third, champion Duelist! How may I assist you two? Oh, Emily if I am not mistaken you're supposed to be learning something from me today."

"That's actually great," said Emily, "because we need to learn an important lesson in dueling."

"We need to learn how to fight unfamiliarly," I clarified. We explained our situation to him.

"But of course I could train you, and you've come to the right place," he said. "The Arena is a wondrous place! Students come here to hone their skills with magic, practice against others, and gain endless glory and fame!" We made our way inside the arena.

"Let us begin," said Diego. "The start of any duel starts with entering the dueling circle."

"Question," I said, raising my hand.

"Yes," said Diego.

"How does the dueling circle work? I mean, how does it just appear whenever we need to fight a monster?"

"That is a reasonable question," said Diego. "A long time ago, magic duels were fought without dueling circles. Magic would fly everywhere, and people would go wherever they wanted in the battle. In the ensuing battles, property would get damaged, and people nearby would get hurt. The ancients of the spiral then created a solution: dueling circles. Anywhere in the spiral, if magic sparked aggression with another magic, the circle would appear and a formal duel would happen. With this magic in play, only the people dueling would be involved and there would be no destruction."

"That's actually very clever," said Emily.

"Now without further ado," said Diego. "We will start, now please enter the dueling circle at opposite ends to face each other."

"Can't we fight golems?" I asked.

"Well maybe we should fight each other," said Emily. "We need to fight unfamiliarly. I need to learn how to fight storm magic."

"I need to learn to fight that too," I said.

"You can fight golems after you fight each other, how's that?" reasoned Diego.

"Sounds good," said Emily.

"I guess I'll do it," I agreed.

We trained for a few hours. It was easy for me to fight a Pyromancer, my magic dampened hers; it was mostly Emily trying to get used to fighting me. After she beat me a couple times, we were ready to move onto golems, charged with storm magic. It was easier for Emily since she already had practice against me and my magic had virtually no effect. At the end of it though, we were able to work unfamiliarly with the opposing forces, and it only took two hours of training.

"That is good enough for today," said Diego. "I think you'll be ready to fight whatever foes face you on Triton Avenue. I will advise you to keep training in your spare time."

"We will," said Emily. "Us heroes need to be ready for whatever comes at us."  
"Good," said Diego. "If you train well, perhaps you will have skills to rival even the great Malistere, yes?"

"I hope so," I said. I had a feeling we were going to have to fight him one day. Diego started to reminisce.

"What a Duelist HE was! He's the only person I would not want to duel in a real fight. Luckily, we only spared for practice."

"Don't go scaring us," I snapped.

"Sorry," said Diego. "Oh, speaking of Malistere, did you know that he and Cyrus are twin brothers?"

"Who's Cyrus?" asked Emily.

"Cyrus Drake, also known as Professor Drake of the Myth School," Diego explained.

"That guy," I said aghast. That sourpuss was related to the great enemy; they did sound similar. Not only were they related but they were twins, just like me and Em.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Cyrus was helping Malistere with all this mess in Wizard City."

"Me neither," I said.

"Gen," said Emily shocked. "Sure he may not be nice (he's one of my teachers so I know personally that's true), but you can't go jumping to conclusions like that; think of Snape in Harry Potter!"

"What?" said Diego.

"Book we read," I said.

"Still," said Diego. "You should tell Ambrose to keep an eye on Cyrus."

* * *

On our way to see the headmaster, I couldn't help but have nagging thoughts. These twins were in a sticky situation, what would that mean for us?

When we met with the headmaster, we told him what Diego told us.

"Diego thinks that Cyrus is helping Malistere cause all this trouble in Wizard City, eh? Diego shouldn't be spreading foolish rumors. Cyrus is a good professor. I trust him completely."

"See, told ya," said Emily.

"I beg your pardon?" said Ambrose.

"It's nothing professor," I said.

"Malistere is a concerning issue though," said Ambrose. "I'm sure you heard that Malistere Drake used to teach at the Death school. He was once one of our best professors…very powerful and compassionate. He loved discovering secrets of power."

"What went wrong?" asked Emily. "How'd he turn astray if was so good?"

"Probably all of that power got to his head," I reasoned. "It's how most villains become evil."

"It's not that simple Genevieve," said Ambrose. "Even those closest to him are not sure exactly what turned him to do dark deeds; of course many could guess it had to do with his wife."

"Was she evil too?" I asked.

"Heavens no," said Ambrose. "In fact she couldn't have been more loved. Malistere himself loved her more than his power."

"You say loved…" said Emily, piecing the puzzle together.

"May she rest in peace," said Ambrose. Emily gasped while I adopted a solemn gaze.

"She died," said Emily choking up.

"Yes, I'm afraid," said Ambrose sadly. "If only she was still with us, things might have been different. But even death cannot be undone…"

"I guess that's how it happened," I said. "Without his wife, Malistere just got obsessed with power."

"Maybe," said Ambrose somberly. He then pulled himself together.

"Speaking of the issue of Malistere's contact with Wizard City…one of his favorite students, a boy named Duncan Grimwater, has been tackling the ghost problem on Triton Avenue."

"Like Susie and Artur?" I said.

"Yes," said Ambrose. "He went to help once things got hectic there."

"If only we were here," said Emily.

"We can dwell on the past later," I said. "What is it you want us to do professor?"

"Can you inquire if he has heard anything from his old professor? We need to know if Malistere has been contacting former students."

"Sure we can," I said. "We were going to head out right after talking to you."

"We can talk to him if we run into him there," said Emily. We stopped right before we headed out the door.

"Before we go," said Emily. "What can you tell us about the sidewalk protection? How does it work?"

"The undead popping up on the streets tend not to like the water in the ducts." I couldn't help but laugh.

"This should be a cakewalk for me then," I said wiping away tears.

"Last time I checked, you don't know any water spells," said Emily. My face blanched and I felt very sheepish.

"Why'd you have to bring that up?" I said annoyed.

"I'm sure you'll be fine none-the-less," said Ambrose. "I wish you both the best of luck."

With that, we headed out.

"I hope we remember our training for what we will have to face on Triton Avenue," I said whilst heading to Olde Town. "Facing Divinity and all, it will be a bit tough."

"Hey, I just remembered," said Emily. "We shouldn't just keep a lookout for Duncan, but also the Smith on Triton Avenue."

"There's a Smith there?"

"There's a Smith on every street," said Emily. "I also figured since we might run into some new undead, we could maybe finish Penny's project."

"Oh yeah," I remembered. "We're still doing that. What are the last two we have to find again?"

"Rotting fodders and Field Guides," said Emily.

"Oh right," I said. "Jack was a Field Guide, too bad he couldn't help us with the project."

"We'll just do it the old fashioned way," said Emily. It wasn't long after that conversation when we crossed through Olde Town and approached the Triton Avenue gate.

"Here goes nothing," said Emily.

"Onto our new adventure," I said nervously. We then crossed the threshold onto a new part of Wizard City.

* * *

When we arrived on Triton Avenue, the first thing we noticed was the street was pretty deserted.

"It's like a ghost town," said Emily.

"Pun intended," I said.

"Maybe," she jested. "Let's keep our eyes open for a Smith, any Rotting Fodders, or Field Guides."

"Let's also keep our eyes open for Duncan," I added. "He should be around here somewhere."

"Right," said Emily. She waved her wand. "Susie Gryphonbane." Her wand then pointed us in the right direction. As we headed down the street we saw these translucent golems walking about.

"Are those Rotting fodders," I asked nervously.

"No," said Emily in the same tone. "Doesn't match the picture Penny gave us. They must be the ghosts that Duncan's tackling." We immediately got onto the sidewalk, and continued following Emily's wand. Luckily the wand lead us past all the ghosts, down some steps into a recluse where we found a girl slightly older than us, but still shorter than us. We were very tall for our age.

"Are you Susie Gryphonbane?" I asked.

"Yes I am," said Susie. "I'm so glad you came! I've been trying to get someone to help me, but the guards are far too busy with the events of late."

"Susie listen," said Emily. "Sergeant Muldoon requested us; we are the sent help from Headmaster Ambrose."

"The Headmaster sent you? Great! Me and my brother could use the help. We are trying to stop all the Undead that broke down the gate from the Haunted Cave and invaded the area. My brother Artur went on ahead to check out the Haunted Cave. He had a theory that the force behind all this was in that cave. I'm worried because I have not heard from him in a while."

"That was very brave of your brother to do," said Emily, giving her condolences.

"We heard that you haven't seen your brother in five days," I added.

"My brother can handle himself, he's pretty skilled," said Susie. "Of course, five days will cause me to worry. He might be trapped in the cave fighting for his life. Could you go see how my brother is doing? He should be just inside the Haunted Cave; I wouldn't want you looking forever. If he's not there, come and tell me; you might need to search deeper. I'd go myself, but someone needs to handle the situation out here. I wouldn't want to endanger you, but my brother may have identified the dark presence responsible for Wizard City's troubles."

"We're pretty new at this ourselves Susie," I said. "The only reason we've been chosen for this is because we saved Unicorn way."

"You're the heroes of Unicorn way?"

"Umm," I wasn't sure if I regretted what I just said.

"We are," said Emily. "We'll find a way to help you Susie, and your brother as well." There I go again. "Maybe it would be better if we went together; that way it won't be much of a problem."

"Yeah, I guess so," I said.

"Then let's go," said Emily waving her wand, "Haunted Cave." We started to head the direction the wand pointed us, but as we made it down the stairs, we saw a death student.

"You think that might be Duncan?" I said.

"Let's find out," said Emily approaching him. "Excuse me, are you Duncan Grimwater?"

"Yes I am," he said proudly. "What is it you want?"

"Well um…"said Emily, trying to find the words.

"You were a favorite of Malistere's right?" I asked.

"Yes I am," said Duncan proudly.

"You said 'am'," said Emily. "Are you still in contact in Malistere? Have you heard anything from him lately?"

"I wish," said Duncan.

"Draco Malfoy," Emily and I mumbled to each other at the same time.

"What was that?" said Duncan.

"Nothing," said Emily grinning.

"Is it that you girls impressed with my skills and find me attractive?"

"What! NO!" we both said the same time out of shock.

"I have feelings for someone else," said Emily.

"What?" I said in utter disbelief. "How can you have feelings for him if you only saw him once?"

"That's how strong my feelings are."

"You're being very rude," said Duncan. "What do you want?"

"Sorry," I said offended. "We were just inquiring something for the Headmaster."

"So, the Headmaster is still worried about Malistere? If you ask me, I think Ambrose needs to quit blaming Malistere every time something goes wrong in Wizard City."

"He did cause a lot of problems though," said Emily, annoyed.

"He tore the Death school out of Ravenwood," I added.

"Someone else had his job," reasoned Duncan. "I'd get that mad as well."

"He was behind the corruption of the fairies," added Emily.

"Didn't like them anyway," said Duncan.

"He tried to attack Ambrose and US!" I added enthusiastically. "Two untrained students!"

"He tried to attack you, I don't believe it," said Duncan.

"He did, in golem tower when we first got here, we were lucky the Headmaster was with us," said Emily.

"Hey," said Duncan. "You're the heroes of Unicorn way, aren't you? No wonder he attacked you. Of course you do have a point; he may have overstepped his bounds a little. It still doesn't sway my opinion of him. He was the best teacher I could have ever asked for. Malistere Drake was such an inspiring Professor. Most consider him to be the greatest Necromancer of our time! He understood life's limitations and strove to face them unafraid. Ambrose has no right to criticize my admiration for him. Can you believe him; Ambrose has suggested for me to stop practicing the Death Arts. He even suggested I give Life a try. Ha!"

"That is a bit uncalled for," I agreed. "I would never join the Myth School, it's against my character."

"Did you know Myth focuses on imagination?" said Emily.

"I forgot," I admitted.

"You're both being a bit uncalled for," said Emily, angry. "Stop being bias about the other Schools!"

"You're not bias because you're taking all of them," I told her.

"Oh you're that one," said Duncan. "Malorn said he was tutoring you in Death. Look I don't disagree with your want of power-"

"I don't want power," argued Emily. "I just want it to vary."

"Surely you can understand how great Death is," said Duncan. "It is one of the most powerful types of magic, and the bravest."

"I know that," said Emily. "It's also very dark."

"But I would like to keep studying on my own, rather than join a class."

"I can see that," I said.

"Maybe one day I'll be as powerful as Malistere!"

"You'll be a force for good, right?" asked Emily.

"Force for good, Force for evil; I'll be a force for myself."

"I don't like the sound of that," I said.

"Well, I told you all I know," said Duncan. "If you want to know more about Malistere, which you probably do, maybe you should talk to an old friend of his wife. You heard what happened to his wife, right?"

"All we heard was that she died," I said.

"No, apparently you didn't then," said Duncan.

"Was there something so tragic about the way she died?" asked Emily.

"Well when we saw Malistere, he wasn't _that_ old; she must've died before she could have reached old age."

"Well…" said Duncan. "If you two are interested, go talk to Gloria Krendell in Olde Town and ask her about Sylvia Drake. Those two women were close. She could tell you more."

"Hey, we know Gloria," said Emily. "I think she'll gladly tell us about Sylvia."

"What about Artur Gryphonbane and the cave?" I reminded Emily.

"We can handle that later, this probably won't take long. Look, we either head off into unfamiliar territory and complete a task, or head off into familiar territory and complete a task. I rather get the familiar thing done and over with before I forget."

"Alright, I'll tell Susie what's going on, _hopefully_ she'll understand, and then I'll go join you."

"You could go by yourself," said Emily.

"Actually I can't," I said. "My magic is kaput by itself."

"We had all that training," said Emily.

"I'd feel better if you came with me," I told her.

"I say go for it," said Duncan. "It won't take that long. Susie's also been a pain as much as I've been working with her."

"We weren't asking you," I said annoyed. "Let's just go, Em, I don't want to be here anymore."

* * *

Emily went on ahead while I explained to Susie that we had to complete another task for Ambrose in learning more about Malistere. Susie was a little upset, but after I explained the whole Duncan fiasco she seemed to be more on board. I reassured her that once we gathered information on Sylvia Drake, we would work double time on saving her brother.

When I caught up with Emily, she had just re-arrived in Olde Town. I told her what I told Susie and then we went to go speak with Ms. Krendell.

"Hello Ms. Krendell," we said as we approached.

"Hello girls," said Ms. Krendell. "Would you like some cookies? They're chocolate chip today."

"Would I?!" said Emily. Chocolate chip is her favorite flavor of muffins and cookies. She loves Chocolate in general, and I'm indifferent.

"No thanks," I said. While Emily helped herself, I asked Ms. Krendell about Sylvia Drake.

"You want to ask me about Malistere's wife, Sylvia? Oh my, yes. I knew her very well. She taught the Life magic class before Moolinda Wu," said Ms. Krendell. I chuckled.

"Life and Death; I guess opposites do attract."

"I sure miss her. What happened to her was such a shame. Poor dear." She looked forlorn as she relived the sad memories.

"What happened?" asked Emily with her mouth full. I elbowed her this time.

"What?" asked Emily.

"First, you're being rude," I said. "Second, _you're being rude_!" I gestured Ms. Krendell.

"It's okay dear," said Ms. Krendell cheering up. "Say, there _is_ something you two can do for me. Would you find the scrapbook Sylvia and I made together? It would mean a lot to me to have it back." Emily swallowed.

"Sure we could, where do we start looking?" she said.

"I thought this wasn't going to take long," I retorted.

"Oh, I know where it is," said Ms. Krendell. "I just can't retrieve it."

"Where is it?" asked Emily.

"I'm not sure how, but Sergeant Skullsplitter has it. Could you go to his tower on Triton Avenue and get it back for me?"

"Sergeant Skullsplitter," Em said nervously while we were stiff as boards. "How come I have the feeling he's a monster?"

"He's a skeleton. He used to be revered among the living, and now he's revered among the dead. They say he's growing an army of the undead, but luckily they have him under check."

"So he's not a threat we have to deal with?" I asked nervously.

"Just get me my scrapbook back and I'm sure you won't have to deal with him again."

We gulped. "Well," said Emily. "We already defeated Rattlebones, Lady Blackhope, and the Iron Golem; surely we've garnished a name for ourselves."

"Yeah," I said. "Maybe we can go in there and threaten him to give it back."

* * *

So we made our way back to Triton Avenue, all the more nervous about facing someone called 'Sergeant **Skullsplitter**'. We mostly reassured ourselves that we were an unstoppable force when together. We followed Emily's wand to the tower on the street keeping our eyes open for Smiths and being wary for the translucent golems; we were on edge. Once we approached the looming tower, I got a message from my teacher.

"I heard that you have been asked to enter a dungeon," said Professor Balestrom.

"Yes," I said. "Emily's here too; say 'hi' Em."

"Hi Em," said Emily, trying to crack a joke.

"So you're saying this tower is a dungeon, and that's how he can't get out?"

"Yes," said my teacher. "The door's been enchanted. The only way for one to get in is if they stand on the sigil. Once the count to ten has finished, everyone on the sigil will enter at the same time."

"How do we get out?" asked Emily, with her voice cracking.

"That's easy," said Professor Balestrom. "Just grab the handle and say 'out, please' and then that person (who does not sound like the prisoner) will be transported out. Be safe girls!" Then the message disappeared.

"Okay," I said. "So we just…stand on the sigil?"

"Yeah," said Emily. "You take the first spot, and I'll take the second spot."

"Why do _I_ have to take the first spot?"

"It's your street," reasoned Emily.

"Fine," I said standing in the first spot. Emily took the second. We waited ten seconds…and nothing happened. I face-palmed, "We probably need to say to say something to get in."

"Your teacher left that part out," said Emily exasperated. "What are we supposed to say: 'In, please?'" Her spot then glowed; I guess those were the words.

"IN PLEASE," I quickly said. My spot glowed as well. After the ten second count, we found ourselves disappearing and reappearing, much like the teleportation we learned in class.

Inside the tower, we saw the skeleton. He didn't look much like a Sergeant. Beside him, was this type of ghost I've never seen before; this ghost looked like a woman with long red hair and sharp nails.

"What do we have here?" said the Skeleton. "Visitors, I don't get visitors, I never get visitors. I mean I do on the rare occasion, but I've never had visitors this young before. I think you two students are in the wrong place. You're trespassing, and that could be considered a crime."

"We don't mean any trouble," I said quickly. "We just want the book back!"

"Book? What book?"

"We-we heard you had it," said Emily. "Sylvia D-Drake's s-Scrapbook"

"So, you two have come for the Scrapbook that belonged to Malistere's wife, eh? Pity she caught that cold and died…"

"How'd you even get the book?" I asked him, regaining my composure.

"I stole it! How else would anyone have what doesn't belong to them?"

"Well, you could have found it somewhere," I said. "Or Malistere could have given it to you for safe keeping."

"HA!" he said. "Malistere giving me anything, that's hilarious!"

"That's a relief," said Emily. "We run into to many dead who are working with him."

"Wait a second," said the Sergeant. "You two defeated Rattlebones and Lady Blackhope."

"How do you know that?" asked Emily.

"**News travels**," said Skullsplitter.

"Yeah… we are," I said, regaining my composure again. "Unless you want your butt kicked you better hand it over."

"Well, I won't allow it!" he said. "I don't care who you are! I will deny him any kindness after what he denied me in life!"

"What did he deny you?" asked Emily.

"He's a Necromancer and I was getting old; I wanted to be immortal, cheat death, and he said no!"

"I can see why," I said. "It's greedy."

"I don't think he even knew," said Emily. "Don't you think that if he did, he would have saved his wife?"

"His wife would probably be against it," he justified. "Anyways, after that I died, stole the scrapbook for revenge, and then got locked up in here. Of course it's all for naught, I'll form a new army of the Undead, break myself out of this prison, and take over civilizations until I hunt down a way for my life to be restored."

"That's probably it," said Emily.

"What's it?" I said.

"Malistere is causing all this chaos, in the end of it, he's probably just distracting us, getting revenge on those who don't understand, and in the long run…he's trying to find a way to bring back his wife."

"What if you're wrong?"

"Malistere loved his wife more than anything…what wouldn't he do for her?"

"Enough! Enough about Malistere! I'm the one you have to worry about, not him," said Skullsplitter. "As for you two, you are both very strong and capable willing to take out many foes…"

"Thank you!" I said.

"You will be perfect! Prepare to join the ranks of the dead and serve me!"

"I'm resending my thank you."

"Looks like we're fighting after all," said Em. "Since I'm more familiar with Skeletons, I'll take the sergeant, and you can take his ghost friend."

"I know nothing about this ghost!" I said.

"You knew nothing about the ghosts you fought on Unicorn way," Em countered.

"Fine," I said.

"You don't stand a chance," Skullsplitter laughed. I hoped he was wrong.

The first ones to make a move were Sergeant Skullsplitter and his ghost friend. Sergeant Skullsplitter launched a Thunder snake at Emily, while the ghost launched a Bloodbat at me. I had a feeling I was facing someone studied in myth magic, great. It really hurt when it tried to chew my face off. For Emily's first move she cast a Fire Blade while I passed. The second turn had Sergeant Skullsplitter launch a scarab at Emily, while I was lucky with the ghost passing. Emily used her saved pips to try to cast a Fire Elf, but it fizzled, and I cast a lightning strike.

The next move fired at Emily was a dark fairy. That was concerning for Emily wasn't wearing her ruby slippers while I was, and I couldn't pass them to her like I did before. The ghost decided to fire a snow serpent at me; it circled me, creating an aura of cold to surround me. I retaliated with a Thunder snake, but it fizzled just like the second Fire elf Emily tried to cast.

The fight continued, where I realized this _was_ a lot harder than our last fights; we were really getting into this. Skullsplitter cast a scarab at Emily, and the ghost passed; Emily and I did the logical thing and healed ourselves with the pixie spell. Skullsplitter then sent another dark fairy at Emily, while the ghost fizzled its myth attack, Emily and I then sent some Storm magic flying with Emily casting a Thunder-snake and me using my Lightning strike.

I had yet to lay a scratch on the ghost, while Emily had already laid her first hit. Now Skullsplitter was mad, he sent another scarab at Emily while the ghost trapped me in a myth trap. Emily retorted to Skullsplitter's scarab with an Ice Beetle, and I finally managed to burst forth a Thunder-snake. Skullsplitter was ready to finish it when he cast a Thunder snake at Emily, and it fried her with an electrical blast. I got some snake as well, for the ghost cast another Snow Serpent, which spit an ice ball at me, winding me and maybe giving me frostbite.

Emily healed herself with another pixie spell. I. was. Done. I summoned up the reserves of my magic,

"**Thunder and Lightning**, not just that, _I call forth the storm…_ _**of Lightning Bats**_!"

With the swarm of bats overwhelming her, the ghost was finished. Skullsplitter was shocked.

"How?" he questioned.

"I take it she was a conjurer," I said. "Weaknesses work both ways buddy." In his anger he fizzled his next death spell, while Emily successfully fired a Fire cat at him and I healed myself with a pixie. He then tried to be strategic and save up his pips, but that's when Emily quickly spouted the finishing words,

"**From my words I doth ignite a cat to bring within my sight. Its foes and mine thus entertwined; the battle's brought, now burn through this fight**!" With one final trounce from her Fire cat, he was finished. We had saved our own hides. We searched around the tower for the scrapbook and found it in a chest, thankfully unscathed. We then grabbed the handle to the exit door and said 'out please,' and we were transported outside.

Making our way back to Ms. Krendell, we collected wisps to bring us back to full strength. That was a doozy of a fight, Emily was winded, lacking in her mana energy, as seen when we checked the crystal ball. We arrived in Olde Town and made our way to Ms. Krendell's.

"Ms. Krendell," I said as we approached. "We got the scrapbook back."

"You were able to get the scrapbook back from Sergeant Skullsplitter?"

"Yeah," said Emily. "It sure was tiring though."

"Oh good!" said Ms. Krendell. "I was afraid it was lost forever. It contains all of my memories of Sylvia."

"She must have been a really good friend to you," I said.

"She was…" said Ms. Krendell as she began to thumb through the scrapbook. "Now let's see…Ah, yes. Sylvia had such a wonderful laugh. It was so sad when she got sick. She caught a nasty cold and wouldn't get better. They tried everything to heal her, but nothing worked. Imagine, the greatest Life professor being struck down like that."

"It is ironic a Life professor couldn't be healed." Emily elbowed me. What was with Emily and elbowing me? I was going to get bruised ribs.

"She was dying, and that was that," Ms. Krendell continued. "Poor Malistere couldn't stand it. It broke his heart having to let her go. He was never the same afterwards. He withdrew from his colleagues…even from his brother Cyrus." Wow, to think twins could break apart like that. I wondered and worried if that would ever happen to me and Em. "Well, thanks for bringing this scrapbook back to me, girls. I am forever grateful."

"It was nothing Ms. Krendell," said Emily. "Least we could for you."

"Well I insist on giving you something in gratitude. I have just the thing." She went in her house and came back out with two hats. "I made these for you. I made a student helm for Genevieve and Verdant helm for Emily." We looked over the hats she gave us.

"These are really nice," I said. "You didn't have to make us these."

"Oh but I wanted to," she said. "You've been doing so much for wizard city, it's the least I can do for you. They will help protect you in battle."

"Thank you," said Emily.

"Thank you very much," I added. After that was done, we still half an hour before dinner. We decided to go back and help out Triton Avenue until then. We put on our hats to protect us from death magic and headed out.

"Em I was thinking," I said as we headed over.

"Yes," she said.

"What if we ended up like Malistere and Cyrus?" She slowed her footing.

"Why would you ask that?"

"It's just something that worries me, if we were to ever fall apart like that."

"Gen," she said reassuringly. "They fell apart because Malistere was in love, and we don't have boyfriends."

"You're in '_love_'," I said mockingly.

"It's a crush, that's it," she said flatly. I'm glad she admitted it, even if she doesn't really know the guy that well. "The other reason was because Malistere turned evil. I'm never turning evil because I learned a long time ago that it's better to do what's right even if you hate the person. As for you, I think you're too stubborn and hard-headed to be evil."

"Har-har," I said. "Are you sure we still won't fall out?"

"You're always there for me, so how can I leave you? As for you, you think I'm nothing without you and you want to experience everything with me; even if we fight, I think we'll always come back to each other."

"That makes me feel a little better," I said smiling a little.

* * *

Once we made it to Triton Avenue, we went to tell Susie we were back on the case with her brother. While I was talking to Susie Emily spotted something: a smith across the bridge and two waterfall streams. She went to go make sure it was the smith. I was going to go with her, but I ran into Duncan.

"So you find out about Malistere's wife," he said.

"Yeah," I said. "We found she got a cold and died, which caused Malistere to turn evil in hopes of bringing her back. You could have told us that."

"I'm no good at telling stories and I didn't know everything you just said. Where'd your sister run off to?"

"She went to go see a Smith, and then we're continuing through the street. How do we get there anyway?"

"You really have never been here before," said Duncan. "You see that portal over there?" He pointed. I looked and saw a glowing portal.

"Yes," I said.

"It leads to the other part of the street. You should consider yourself lucky that dead don't like water otherwise undead hordes would be flowing through that portal."

"Yeah I guess I am lucky," I said nervously.

"Even if the dead find a way past that, I'm here, the greatest Death student of Malistere; no one can handle this situation better than me."

"Right," I said. "Then why hasn't the situation been solved yet?"

"I need to find out where the haunted minions are coming from before I leave. At least I'm not sitting still with worry like Miss Gryphonbane over there."

"You probably don't have any siblings," I said bitterly. I went to follow Emily. She was coming back after locating the Smith.

"It was a Smith," she said. "Check that one off the list."

"Don't leave me alone with Duncan again," I said sternly. "Now let's go check out the other side of the street before dinner."

* * *

**Some intrigue in there, along with some deep reflection. If you haven't these things I will now point them out: Emily and Genevieve are twins. Emily is more heroic and noble-like than Genevieve. Emily causes Genevieve a lot of pain and mental confusion but is also very precious to her. Emily is more the protagonist than Genevieve, but Genevieve is still a hero to the people, just more of an anti-hero. Emily has things like a tragic past and a heroic mindset, while Genevieve is filled with doubt and has a very mundane and flat life. Just a little more insight on the characters. Stay tuned for the next chapter! **

**Until then-Admiringroseblossom11**


	12. The Day Off?(Triton Avenue part 2)

**I'm a bit disappointed with this chapter to be honest. Not much happens story-wise. To compensate, I've added some feely moments in the text, an extra character, and some deviance at the end. Let's just say that this chapter is mainly filler, I just wanted to get some side quests out of the way. I try to integrate that into the story as well. If you notice, Emily's POV consists of background events more than the foreground story events. I'm a little cruel in making Genevieve important off-screen. Despite this feeling a lot like a let's play, you can tell me what you think of the other stuff. Enjoy.**

* * *

[First Person, Emily]

What do you want me say? Do you want me to give you a reflection of my situation? Well I don't exactly have one. We were on my sister's street; so she has more to think about than me. Of course, after all we discussed earlier, I do have a few thoughts. For starters, my sister thinks storm magic tops them all, and Duncan thinks death is the best. Only really I see that there is a plus in all types of magic. I guess taking all secondary schools wasn't such a mistake.

As for the sibling talk, I really don't think I'll turn evil even though I have the background of a villain or anti-hero. I guess I'm just a good person who desperately needs support. As for our situation on the street, that's something else.

This is the first difficulty I faced, I felt like I needed to rely on Gen. I felt helpless because my magic was dampened, but I wanted to change that. That's way I was acting a bit strange, I felt like I needed to better prepare myself.

* * *

Still, we had said we were going to check the other side of the street before dinner. We approached the portal to take us to the other part of the street. I wondered why the street even needed a portal to get around; I also wondered what would entering a portal feel like.

"Maybe I should go first," said Gen. "It is my street after all."

"Be my guest," I said. Gen entered the portal and nothing happened.

"I wonder if we need a code-word or some-" She was gone, just like that; disappeared into blue mist.

"I'm going to be fine," I said to myself. "It's just a portal." I stepped into it. After a few seconds, I felt myself being transported via magic. It felt a lot like a teleportation spell. After my vision cleared of blue mist, I found myself on a different part of the street, Genevieve standing in front of me.

"Not that bad, huh," said Gen.

"It still feels a little weird, considering we don't have this at home."

"To answer your question as to where the other part of the street could be Em, I figured it out." Genevieve gestured off the cliff side. I looked down and saw the portal below us.

"Huh, it's a layered street. What about that?"

"I think I see some cattails over there," said Gen pointing to the water stream. "I'll go pick some."

"I'll go a little bit ahead," I told her. "See what's up there."

"Alright." She waded into the streams to get her cattails. Well the dead won't be touching her. To be fair, they wouldn't be touching me either since I had to wade through some streams to get to the Smith. Now we were both wet, but I could dry us off later; I just wondered how this would affect my magic for the time being. With that thought, I hoped we would be leaving soon.

I ascended the stairs and the first thing I saw was a quaint little mill with a weird machine in the front of it. I went to go check it out. I flicked it, because that's the only logical thing you can do in that situation. The next logical thing to do would be to tap it a few times.

"I sure am glad to see a fresh face," said an Irish man's voice from beside me. I turned and saw a middle aged man, probably the owner of the mill. He was wiping his hands on an apron he wore.

"Hello," I said. "I was just wondering what this thing was."

"Oh that," he said. "That's my resonating audio-graph."

"I've never seen one before," I commented.

"Hey Em," I heard behind me. "Who's this?" Gen had got her cattails and now was soaking wet from bottom down just like me.

"Oh, I didn't introduce myself," said the man. "I'm Blad Raveneye, owner of the Four Falls Mill."

"You must generate a lot of power here."

"Yes, enough for the entire city," said Blad. "Triton Avenue has the responsibility to generate all the power we need." So the dead were probably trying to take out the city's power as well. The more I was there the more I realized why Triton Avenue was a good street to target.

"Is that why you haven't evacuated?" I asked.

"Someone has to take care of things here. Of course, I've got a lot to do here, and it doesn't look like it's going to be easy, especially with everything going on."

"Well Gen can help out in the mill. She learns stuff like this in school."

"Yeah, but not a lot," said Genevieve with a look that screamed 'how dare you volunteer me for this.'

"I don't need help with the mill," said Blad. "At least not right now; I mostly need help in the fields."

"Fields?" both Gen and I said at the same time.

"Yes, the Undead have brought along crows that are spoiling our crops. We need to build scarecrows to scare those crows away."

"Well, we can definitely help with that," said Gen.

"Great! First thing we'll need is some cloth to make the scarecrows bodies. The cloth can be gathered from Scarlet Screamers. Can you go get some for us?" Gen and I looked at each other in disbelief.

"Scarlet Screamers: are they the red headed banshees in dresses?" I asked.

"Yes, they are."

"Can't you get your cloth from a safer place?" asked Gen.

"Not at the moment. With all the undead around most stores are closed. There could be cloth in people's homes, but I wouldn't want to break and enter when they're not there."

"Fair enough," I said. "I guess we could fight some Scarlet Screamers until we can get some cloth. Can you tell us anything about them? It might help."

"Hmm, I know that Scarlet Screamers mostly use conjuring magic when they fight."

"Oh great," said Gen, "that explains why I had trouble against one. I won't be able to handle these. Em, do you think maybe we can split up for this. I'll check the cave for Artur and you can fight the Scarlet Screamers."

"Sure," I said. "Tell me if you find him." We headed off. As we crossed over the bridges we intended to go our separate ways until Genevieve spotted something of interest.

"Is that what I think it is?" she said when she saw a creeper on street. She took out the list Penny gave us. "It is…it's a Rotting Fodder! We can get some more research done for Penny!"

"Doesn't it feel like we're doing the work for her?" I asked.

"She can't traverse these dangerous areas. This is a good way for her report to be done without her getting hurt. I'll just fight these rotting fodders before I head to the cave."

"You don't know anything about them."

"Well, I'll find out about them myself." She then ran into the chaos. I would've joined her but it was getting late and I wanted to get everything done before I ate. I went to fight the Scarlet Screamers.

* * *

While fighting the Screamers, I noticed a similar situation to when I was fighting Skullsplitter. I used a lot of my mana while fighting. The only spells that seemed to work for me were fire spells, while the Screamers mostly threw leprechauns and dark fairies at me. After fighting three Scarlet Screamers I figured I had gathered enough cloth for the scarecrows. I ran into Genevieve on my way back to Blad.

"Hey Gen," I called out.

"Hey," she said shakenly to me.

"I got the cloth, so what did you find out about Rotting Fodders?"

"Oh, I know that there's around…maybe fifty on the street."

"Wow," I noted.

"Yeah, I could beat them pretty easily, (in two moves) which was strange because I noticed that they mainly use Storm magic."

"I guess we did into corrupted diviners. I also guess that the nullification isn't a problem because storm magic is still pretty powerful." I noticed that Gen looked pretty blanched.

"Gen…did you go to the cave?" She nodded. "What did you find there?" She reached into her bag, and held in front of me…the broken pieces of a wand. I took them from her.

"Where did you find this?" I asked.

"At the entrance of the cave," she said, "the innermost entrance."

I tried to piece together what that could mean. It definitely meant a wizard went inside the cave…but could this be Artur's wand? It didn't look like Gen's. Gen also said she found it at the very entrance, so he could have been deeper in the cave, and you don't need a wand to do magic…I was fighting without a wand the entire day. Still, Gen and I could be a special case, so to go in the cave without some way to defend himself; then there is the conclusion screaming in my face. I mean if his wand was broken at the entrance, it could have meant he was in a scuffle. What predicament he was in in that moment I didn't know. I was feeling really guilty about leaving this for five days.

We approached Blad and gave him the cloth for the scarecrows.

"Most excellent!" he said. "These will do just fine. Now I need you two to gather some straw. I think I saw some Field Guards hiding out in the Haunted Cave. You can go collect some straw from them."

"Field guards," said Gen, being slightly distracted from the shocking news. "We also need some information on Field Guards for Penny's project."

"Maybe tomorrow," I said. "It's getting late and we need to tell Susie what you found."

"Alright," said Blad. "I'll start sewing up the bodies." Out of context that would have been very creepy. Gen and I shivered.

"See ya, Blad," I said as we started towards the portal.

* * *

"You can tell Susie what happened while I go and get some more cattails," said Gen.

"What!? Why are you ducking out of this?" I asked as we exited the portal and were making our way back to Susie.

"I don't want to be the one to tell her something has happened to her brother."

"We're not telling her that! We'll just tell her you found a broken wand in the cave."

"What else do you think it means, Em?"

"You're still doing this with me, Genevieve. If I'm relaying bad news, you're going to be there with me." We passed Duncan on the way back.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"Busy," said Gen curtly, and we climbed the stairs to Susie. When we approached Susie she immediately started talking.

"Did you find him?" Gen and I looked at each other. Gen went to pull out the wand, but then we realized I still had it. I pulled it out, and showed it to Susie with remorse. She gasped with horror.

"This is his wand!" she said taking it from me and clutching it tightly. "Something must have happened to him. I'll bet he was right about the haunted cave being the source of evil!"

"Well maybe the dead did come from there," said Gen. "When I checked it out the gate was pried open and in the cave I saw a bunch of Rotting Fodders roaming around. I think all the Fodders came from the cave."

"Then everything else must have come from there too," I commented.

"All I know about it is it's one of the places in wizard city where the dead like to roam," said Susie. "There used to be a town in there a long time ago, but it's a ghost town now."

"Well that would explain the buildings," said Gen.

"There's a more important issue right now," I reminded them. "How are we going to find out what happened to your brother?"

"I may have an idea but I don't like it," said Susie. "Could you talk to Duncan Grimwater? He's a Death Student studying the events here, trying to piece together what's going on."

"Well that's nice of him."

"Why can't you do it?" asked Gen.

"He refuses to co-operate with me," said Susie. "Also, I can't stand working with him. He's a little snobbish…"

"Can't argue with you there."

"Still…he may have a clue as to my brother's whereabouts. From what I can see, he seems to co-operate with you just fine."

"Hardly."

"Can you check with him? Please?"

"Sure," said Gen. "Of course if we are to do this, Em has to do it alone because I can't stand the guy either."

"That's not fair," I told her.

"I can get some cattails while you do that, have fun!" She ran off. I guess I was doing this on my own. I made my way down the stairs to Duncan; might as well do this before we leave; my stomach was starting to grumble.

"So what's going on?" said Duncan as I approached.

"Look, we've been assigned to help Susie and her brother with the problem here, and since we found his broken wand in the entryway of the Haunted cave, we figured that maybe you can help us locate him," I said.

"Merle Ambrose sent some more students to help out? I guess he thinks that Susie and her brother can't handle this situation. Well, that's what happens when you send Storm students to do a Death student's job."

"Yeah, well I think they want to help out because this is their street. Can you focus on the situation please, Susie says something's happened to her brother and he's missing!"

"Susie says her brother is missing? Ha! I think he is hiding back at Ravenwood. But I'll check around and see what I can find out." This guy was irritating. "In the meantime, I could use some help with my field studies. I need to find out the fighting tactics of the Undead. Knowing how they fight may give me some insight into how we can defeat them. I would do it myself, but…uh…I ran out of Treasure Cards. It shouldn't be too hard."

"So much for the great Necromancer," I said while I noticed Genevieve coming back from her cattail picking.

"Just defeat some Haunted Minions and Rotting Fodders," he said slightly irritated. "Report back to me afterwards."

"We would get right on that," I told him as Genevieve arrived. "Of course, maybe tomorrow; it's late, I'm hungry and I want to brush up on my skills a bit before I head back out there."

"What are you saying?" said Genevieve.

"Gen, we're going back to school tomorrow."

"NOOOOO!" said Gen. I'm not sure if she was playing around or not.

"Come on, Gen," I said pulling her along.

"You want to go to school tomorrow, when this is going on?!"

"I've been struggling out there. If I'm to help you out in your weak spots I need to get better."

"We've already left them alone for five days!"

"We won't be able to help out anyone if we strain ourselves to much."

"Em…My Street…Fifty Rotting Fodders at least!"

"You can stay if you want," I told her, letting go of her arm. "Don't come crying if you're hungry."

"Fine, you win," she said crossing her arms and following me back to the dorm.

* * *

"Hey dorm," I called out.

"We're home," finished Genevieve.

"You're back," we heard the voice cry out happily. "It's been very lonely without you here. That's what happens when you get two occupants, you get twice as attached."

"We missed you too, voice," said Gen.

"Do you have supper for us, we are a bit hungry," I said.

"Oh," said the dorm. "You do know how late it is, right?"

"Yes," we said in unison.

"I guess I can get you some leftovers." Two plates then appeared of hastily put together sausage and beans. We sat down and began to dig into our food. "Why are so late anyway?"

"Well, do you know what's happening on Triton Avenue?" asked Genevieve.

"I suppose," said the voice.

"Well, we decided to help out. Of course, Emily thinks we should go to school tomorrow to brush up on our skills."

"Well it's not a bad idea," said the room. "You don't want to hurt yourself out there. It's also a good way to catch up with missed work."

"How are we going to catch up with nearly two weeks of missed classes?"

That problem was solved for us the next day. We contacted our teachers to explain our situation and they gave us each a simple solution for our problem. Genevieve had to complete a science project in exchange for learning a new spell. As for me, my teacher said she would tell me a way that I can learn some new things fast, all I had to do was go speak with her.

I wished Genevieve luck with her science project and then went to go meet my teacher.

* * *

"I see you're ready to really learn Pyromancy," said Madame Falmea.

"Really learn it? Then what was I doing the past couple months?" I asked.

"That was for novices," explained my teacher. "Emily you are a very exceptional student. You have already exceeded your classmates, which why I agreed to the free-lance teaching."

"Gee, thanks," I said blushing. "So if I don't need to catch up with my classmates, I still need to find a way to better myself. You said you knew something that might help?"

"Yes, obtaining some knowledge of the Grandmother of Dragons is a good way to start your real training."

"So, I just need to study up in the library?"

"You won't find it in the library."

"I won't? Then how will I obtain it?"

"You'll need to summon the Servants of the Dragon."

"I can't summon any dragons."

"Not dragons, just their servants."

"I didn't even think dragons had servants."

"There is much you don't know. To summon the Servants of the Dragon, you'll need this Bloodstone," she said, handing me said stone. I held the small, perfectly cut, Bloodstone Ruby in my hand. Knowing the Bloodstone could summon the Servants of the Dragon added extra weight to it in my hand.

"What do I do now?"

"Go seek the ancient sanctuary known as the Dragon's Mouth hidden in a cave behind Golem Tower. When you find the fire within, hold the Bloodstone tight and whisper the name of the creature you seek."

"What is that name?"

"Do you know the incantation of your first summons?"

"Yeah," I said. I would have said what it was, but I was holding my wand at the time and I didn't want to bring a Firecat into the room at that moment. "I just do that?"

"Not exactly," said my teacher. "This cat is different than your own. It has a different way to summon it."

"I didn't know there was more than one way."

"You'll know what to say when the time comes, now go before class starts." As students started to file in, I bolted out of the room. Genevieve was probably off to work on her project at that moment, so without hesitation, I headed to Golem Court.

* * *

I had made my way inside Golem Court, going behind the tower to find what I was looking for. I remembered seeing it before when locating the Smith. Of course, just like in my memories, it was blocked off by a gate.

I thought maybe there was a spell or word to get past it. I tried saying 'Open up, I'm a Pyromancer who demands entry,' of course that was too easy. I tried knocking on the gate, but nothing happened, also too easy. I jiggled the gate, and it didn't budge; again too easy. This _was_ an ancient sanctuary, what was I expecting.

Maybe, the gate needed proof I was a Pyromancer. I ignited fire in front of the gate. When that didn't work, I pelted fire at the insignia. When that didn't work, I kept pelting fire at the gate to break through it.

I next tried getting help from my summons. I cast a fire elf, who fired arrows at the gate, bursting them into flames; nothing happened.

"Sorry Emily," said my elf. He then disappeared. I next summoned my Firecat. He swiped at the bars and breathed fire at them, but again nothing happened.

"I guess I'm not strong enough, Emily," he said.

"Argh," I groaned. "How am I going to get in? I'm never going to use this thing!" I pulled out the Bloodstone. It grew warm in my hand, like a fire ignited inside of it. It's like it knew we were at the sanctuary. It glowed a little.

"Maybe you should use it," said my Firecat.

"But Madame Falmea said I'm only supposed to use it once I find the fire inside the cave."

"Well, if anyone is going to get you in it will probably be the Servants of the Dragon. I'm certainly not getting you anywhere."

"I don't want to misuse it," I said, looking at the Bloodstone. "I don't know how many times I can use this thing."

"Well you have to get in somehow," said my Firecat before he disappeared. I looked back at the Bloodstone. It continued to glow warmly in my hand. I held it tightly, thinking about what to do. It was almost if the fire's essence flowed into my being. I heard a voice whisper in my head '_Felidae Pyronus.'_ The name of the creature I sought.

I had a crazy theory that maybe the Bloodstone wanted to be used. It obviously knew we were at the sanctuary, so maybe it knew what to do to get in. Well, I needed help getting in, and this was the only lead I had.

I held the Bloodstone as tight as I could and whispered the name… "_Felidae Pyronus_!" The Bloodstone then started to heat up intensely. In a burst of flames, a Firecat appeared before me, of course I knew it wasn't mine; it was one of the Servants of the Dragon.

"We hear your call and answer, Pyromancer. You may enter the Dragon's Mouth!"

"Great, um…will you help me when I'm in there?"

"No need," said the cat. "Just look into the Fire of Destiny and the secrets you seek will be revealed." The Firecat then ran into the gate, smashing the bars in and making an opening for me.

"Intense, but it works." So I had to look into this Fire of Destiny? Seems like my teacher is throwing me in the deep end for this introduction to Pyromancy. With those thoughts in mind, I entered the Dragon's Mouth.

* * *

Stepping inside the Dragon's Mouth, I could see how this place was special. The first thing I saw was a statue of a dragon, with a fire blaring in front of it. I noticed how warm the cave was; looking around, I saw the flame wasn't the only thing creating the heat. The dragon insignia floor was circled by streams of lava. I was thanking the fact I was a Pyromancer for the result of me not cooking alive in there.

I was in awe to be in such a sacred place. I gazed forward at the flame; the servant said I just had to gaze into it to receive my answers. I was gazing at it, but I didn't feel any different. Something told me I needed to be closer. I approached the flame, and peered into the Fire of Destiny.

At first I saw nothing but fire, but then waves of flame moved and shifted around to create images. The more I peered into the flame, the clearer the images became. It soon dawned on me that the images I was seeing were of a great battle, and as soon as I saw who was partaking in it, I knew which one it was.

"The War of the Titans," I gasped.

Of course I was mostly seeing it from the Dragons' side of things. I saw them horde in the sky as the organized their attack on below, breathing fire and coming down to attack their enemies. It was almost as if I was in their heads, thinking what thought and feeling what they felt. I felt the Giants were strong and vengeful, and the Tritons were sly and wicked. What happened to cause them to fight? I don't even think the Dragons knew.

I watched the battle continue on. I don't know how long I was staring into that fire. As the battle continued, I saw the Dragons' numbers go down, bit by bit. It going and going like that until one Dragon remained. Old and alone, she pulled herself into deep slumber.

"Grandmother of Dragons," I whispered. The watched the time pass; for centuries, she slumbers.

From this, I could feel knew knowledge enter my brain; knowledge on Dragons, the War, Fire magic, and the Grandmother, I felt myself coming to a new understanding. What did this have to do with Destiny? My question was soon answered.

In the vision, I saw a shadow loom over the Grandmother of Dragons. I felt anxious for the Grandmother; what was this shadow? The vision cleared, and I saw where the shadow came from. It came from a man, a wizard, who seemed familiar to me. The vision cleared some more, allowing me to see his cold fiery eyes and wicked scowl. I knew this man.

"Malistere!" I said panicked. As soon as the name escaped my lips, the man changed his focus. He turned and looked at me right through the flames. My fear rose, and I stumbled back with a yelp as the flames erupted and the vision disappeared.

My breaths were shallow, and I shook with tremors of fear. I got off the ground and brushed myself off. I looked at the flame again to see if there was something else; it showed me nothing. I then slowly turned around and left the cave.

* * *

I knocked on the doors of my school. Bernie had asked me what was wrong, but I said nothing. My teacher answered the door.

"Emily, you're back," she said exiting the class. "So, my young student, what did you see in the Fire of Destiny?"

"I don't know how to explain it," I said.

"Just tell me what you saw," said Madame Falmea. So I did, I told her to the best of my ability, everything I could make out. After telling her, she looked deeply concerned.

"Oh my! It seems Wizard City has a powerful enemy! You must practice your lessons immediately!"

"I have been practicing," I said. "The main spells I use are Fire."

"Yes, but that won't be enough, you'll need to know more! Here," she said handing me a card. "Start with this Fire spell. Wizard City may need all the protection it can get!" I read the card.

"Fire Prism? A spell that turns fire damage into ice damage; it should help me against other Pyromancers."

"Yes, you need to make sure you know it-" My teacher probably noticed my state of being. "Emily, how about you take the rest of the day for yourself: study the spell, collect yourself, and process what you've seen."

"Thank you, Madame Falmea." I nodded to her and headed to my dorm.

* * *

I practiced the spell, of course, it was a little hard considering every time I produced a flame I was reminded of what I saw. I spent two hours working on it, and thinking about my vision. Every time I stopped to think about it, I would get tremors. Why was I acting like this?

Genevieve came in around one 'o'clock.

"Emily," she said relieved. "I was a little worried when your teacher said you entered the Dragon's Mouth."

"I'm fine," I said somberly. She looked around the dorm.

"Hey, you hung up your school's banner."

"Yeah, Madame Falmea gave it to me."

"I have a banner of my school too. I'll hang it up next to yours." She used a spell to get it up in the air, but she had to hammer it in manually. As she was doing that, she told me about how she made the Leyden jar for Mr. Agrleston.

"…A Thunder Snake appeared right in front of the library. It offered to charge the jar for me. To do that, it breathed lightning at me, or more precisely the jar I was left aghast for a few seconds after that." She then told me as a reward Professor Balestrom taught her how to use the Storm Prism: a spell that could turn Storm magic into Myth magic.

"I don't understand how Myth is the opposite of Storm," I said.

"It's probably because they come from two different lines of insight. One is more for ingenuity, and the other is imagination."

"Huh," and then I was silent.

"Are you in shock from everything that happened?"

"I guess." I started to shake again. Genevieve climbed on my bed to comfort me.

"Em, just tell me what happened; you might feel better if you do."

"Okay," so I told her everything I could; everything that happened while she was away.

"Did you eat?" asked Genevieve. I nodded. "Did you practice the spell?" I made a prism appear in my hand and ignited a small flame; it immediately turned to snow and ice.

"This might be helpful considering I'm not that strong with Ice magic."

"And I don't know any Myth spells. I should probably eat. Hey room, I know it's late but can eat now?" A simple bowl of pasta appeared on the table for her. "I was training with my teacher; surely I should get more than this. Can I have some milk at least?" A glass of milk filled up beside the bowl. "Thank you." She began eating her pasta. "Sounds like some serious stuff your teacher put you through. Meanwhile, mine made me make a jar…"

"Well, school is never easy. I just don't know why I'm like this. I already knew I would have to face Malistere one day, so why did learning that again make me so…"

"Beats me," said Gen, shoveling in some pasta. "I'm as confused as you are. You should know though that you don't have to go through this alone."

"Yeah, well that's how I felt in the cave. I felt like something bad was going to happen and I would have to deal with it on my own. I felt like…_he knew_ I was watching. From that I thought he was either going to do something, or he figured I was no threat at all."

"You thought he was coming for you."

"No," I realized. "I was just intimidated by that close encounter. I knew he was my enemy and I was…helpless. I couldn't handle the idea of facing him, it was overwhelming. I'm not sure where my limits lie, or what I'd be able to handle if you weren't around." Genevieve set down her pasta for a moment and came over to hug me.

"I _am_ with you. You are not alone. Let me tell you this, you take on so much by yourself, it amazes me. I still worry about you, it's I could do for you in school for the most part, so I can't help it because it's all I know. You are getting better though, so I don't need to be there so much. It's hard to get used to, but it is still amazing, knowing what you are capable of. You should know however, that when you feel helpless, I will be there for you. You don't have to fight your battles alone…not anymore." I smiled.

"Thanks; little sappy, but thanks."

"It's just, I don't feel like I've been entirely good to you, so saying these things makes me feel better. You may feel helpless, but I feel I can't even hold a candle to you."

"I'm the one trying to catch up to you."

"Magic wise, yeah, but I feel like the lesser of the two where it really matters."

"You're there for me, and I'm there for you; we may not have been great in the past, but we're bettering ourselves here."

"I'm glad you can notice that," said Gen returning to her noodles. As Gen continued to eat her noodles, I tried to find a way to change the atmosphere.

"Hey, I have the rest of the day to myself…let's do something for a couple hours. I heard some pelican named Lucky Hookline is teaching fishing."

"Like I would want to fish," said Gen, finishing her noodles.

"But this is magic fishing," I reasoned. "Can you give it a try? For me?" I smiled and she looked at me flatly.

"Fine," she said. "But not doing it again if I don't enjoy it."

* * *

So, we went to Lucky and he told us how to cast special magic lures into the water. These fish we were fishing, we learned they were magic fish with special schools like us wizards, so the type of spell lure would best catch fish of the same school. To start off, he made us catch two types of Ice fish: Icecuda and a Frost Dekoi. It was pretty easy, caught them on the first try. The real test was being patient, which really wasn't Genevieve's cup of tea.

He then explained to us that fishing requires energy and time; no doubt about that. He then gave us each an energy potion and gave us a list of fish for us each to catch if we wanted to improve our skill. Of course, in order to catch these fish we would need more lure spells, which are **really freaking expensive**! So, I agreed with Genevieve that we would mostly catch fish and sell them as a way to earn money, mainly to buy more lure spells, but other stuff as well. Hopefully we could catch all those fish. Genevieve fished herself a Catfish and a treasure chest with a storm lure spell that she bought. With the money in the chest, she bought another lure spell. With a balance lure spell, she caught the other fish listed to be in the commons, the Mainstream Dekoi.

As for me, I fished up both the fish on the list with my fire lure spell; I guess fire magic is just my calling. After fishing up an ice shark, I also fished up a treasure chest. After buying a couple lures with the money, we changed our fishing spot to Unicorn Way with hopes of catching a Bonefish, and we did. Genevieve also fished up a couple of Owl-eyed pikes along with a magical necklace. I then changed my fishing spot to Olde Town and caught a Sharkspeare and a Garrfish. We fished so much that Lucky suggested we be apprentices. We fished until the school day was over and I was calmed down from the vision in the cave. We decided to head back to Triton Avenue to help out some more but on our way we ran into Gamma.

"Emily, Genevieve," said he.

"Hey Gamma," I said.

"We were just on our way to Triton Avenue," said Genevieve.

"Before you do, the headmaster wants to see you two" he said before flying off.

"Wonder what it could be about?" I asked.

"Only one way to find out," said Gen.

* * *

"Headmaster, you wanted to see us?" I said once we entered his office.

"Yes," he said, getting up from his desk. "I have a couple tasks for you two."

"What are they?" asked Gen.

"First," he pulled a potion from his robes. "I brewed up this potion especially for Bartleby, the tree in the center of Ravenwood. He hasn't been feeling well lately. He has trouble remembering things since his Eye was stolen."

"I was wondering why he only had one eye," I said. "Who or what stole it?" The headmaster didn't answer my question, instead handing Genevieve the bottle of bubbling blue elixir.  
"Take the potion to Bartleby and see what happens. Take note of anything he says." Genevieve put the bottle in her bag.

"What's the second task?" she asked.

"Oh," said the Headmaster, his tone shifting from grave to friendly. "Well, have you two had a chance to visit the new Pet Pavilion in the Commons? It's a wondrous place where pets can be trained, hatched, and even race against their friends."  
"Sounds fun," said Gen, probably wondering the point of bringing it up in the first place.

"No we haven't been there," I said.

"It's quite easy to find," said the Headmaster. "Just head towards the library."

"Now that you say that," said Gen. "I think I've seen the entryway."

"I might've as well," I added.

"Good," said Ambrose. "I was wondering if you two might do me the favor of delivering this parcel to Milo Barker, the ringmaster of the Pet Derby. Have a care not to crush or drop it…that wouldn't be at all pleasant!" He then handed me a box with some air holes punched in the top. It had to be a pet. It made some slight grunting noises when I shook it. "Please convey this package to Ringmaster Barker, post-haste. He shall reward you handsomely for your efforts"

"There's no need for reward," I said, putting the box under my arm as it continued to grunt. "We'd do anything for you headmaster. So Gen, what are we going to do first?" I turned to her.

"Here's an idea," she said. "How about we split up? I'll take care of Bartleby and you can deliver the package."

"Why?" I was curious of her choice besides the fact of the objects we were given.

"You've had a stressful day," said Gen. "You need a pick-me-up more than anything. The Pavilion sounds fun; it can help ease the tension. Besides you were a little interested in having a pet."

"That was a maybe," I said.

"Go have fun." Genevieve put a hand on my shoulder. "I'll take of this." There was Genevieve worried about my well-being again. Hopefully it would be over by tomorrow.

"Okay," I said, clutching the package tighter and it continuing to grunt. "I'll see you in the Pet Pavilion."

* * *

I entered the Pet Pavilion with the package and approached the large cat-man who looked like a ringmaster, for I assumed that was who Professor Ambrose was talking about.

"Why hello there, my fine young friend!" he said after I got his attention. "Have you by chance participated in the dynamic display that is the Wizard City Pet Pavilion?"

"No, not-" I started.

"It's a captivating cavalcade of prodigious proportions! Near this very spot are fine vendors of pets and pet provender. That splendid structure over there is the Hatchery!"

"Listen, I've got-"

"The Pet Derby offers all manner of enticing entertainments and delightful distractions for Wizard and pet alike!"

"I'vegotapackagefromAmbrose!" I blurted out.

"What's that…something from Ambrose? That old rascal…let me see what you've brought, then!" He took the package from me. He looked it over, sniffed it, the shook it. From inside the box came an outraged, muffled oink.

"That sounds like a pig… (a pig wouldn't fit in there)…a piglet!"

"Yep, I'd wager my reputation that this is a piggle of some sort."

"Piggle?"

"Yep," he said. He then looked a little confused. "I'm not sure what Merle thought we'd do with it… we're overstocked as it is. How about you keep this one?"

"Me?! I don't know if that's a good idea; I mean, I don't think I can handle the responsibility of owning a pet, especially whatever a piggle is."

"Why don't you take a look at her and see what you think?"

"Her?" I didn't question it further as I opened the package. Once I did, I saw a little piglet with wings. "Aww, she's just the cutest little thing." I picked her up out of the package and held her.

"Hi there," I said cutely. I nuzzled her snout with my nose. "Hi, you're so cute. How did you know it was a girl?"

"Her name is Baby Lexi; said so on the box." I looked on the box. Sure enough, there was the name Baby Lexi, clear as day.

"Alright Baby Lexi, we'll see what Gen thinks of you. If she likes you, I guess we're keeping you."

"Might I be of some service, educating you in matters relating to pets and their profound possibilities?"

"Sure," I said, grasping on to Baby Lexi under my arm. "That would really be helpful."

"The Wizard City Pet Pavilion has experts aplenty. They'll merrily monopolize your concentration with a wealth of useful information! So speak, if you will, to all of them. You can start with my little green friend here, Sir Nigel Higgenbottom. He'll tell you more, and can set you upon the right path!" I looked at the frog man cleaning up the Pavilion.

"Come on, Baby Lexi." With an oink, Baby Lexi and I headed over to speak to Nigel.

"Why hullo there, Wizard," said Nigel after I introduced myself and Baby Lexi and explained the situation. "You may address me as Sir Nigel Higgenbottom, of the Marleybone Higgenbottoms. Our reputation no doubt precedes us." I was getting the feeling that Marleybone was a lot like Britain where I'm from. "I say…with no humility whatsoever…that pets are capable of an amazing variety of tasks. This very Pavilion is the ideal place to learn about them!" He gestured to the Hatchery. "In the Hatchery, Doctor Purreau is an expert in Pet hatching. Speak to him and he'll explain the astonishing ways your pet can grow and change." He gestured in the other direction. "Near here are two shops. Young Tennent and Lowe sell a variety of Pet eggs in one shop; and in the other, two ladies named Dusty and Jackie provide all manner of exotic pet foods." He then gestured to himself. "In addition to keeping this Pavilion clean, I have the honor of selling items for Arena Tickets earned from the Pet Derby."

"That's very nice," I said. Baby Lexi squirmed in my arm and I adjusted my hold on her.

"You should go visit each shop to learn more, and when you're done you can come back here and I'll explain more about Arena Tickets and the Pet Derby… then you can speak with my associate, Mr. Barker."

"Alright, we'll get going then," I said.

* * *

The first place we stopped was the pet food store. Seeing as Baby Lexi was a pig, she got a bit excited seeing all the food in the store; my mouth even watered a little. All the food looked outrageously delicious. They had food that was mundane to extraordinary. I went up to talk to one of the girls.

"Ooohhhh…a customer! Come right in! We have all manner of snacks for your pet…whatever you need!" The other girl spoke up.

"After your pet completes a training game, it will be hungry! You can reward your pet with a tasty snack. The type of snack you feed it will increase its abilities in some fashion. The exact ability and how much it improves depend on the type of snack and how much your pet likes it. Different pets like different snacks, so you should try a variety of snacks and see what your pet likes best…" The first girl perked up again.

"And you won't find a better selection of snacks anywhere in the Spiral…guaranteed!"

After picking up a few snacks and leaving the shop, I turned to Baby Lexi.

"Alright Baby Lexi, where do you think we should go next?" She squirmed, bucking her head and squealing in the direction of the hatchery. "Hatchery it is then."

* * *

Stepping inside the hatchery was a bit freaky. I was expecting something a bit cuter, and instead I got a bunch of loud whirring machines with the pets in the chairs, like they were experiments. I hoped that wasn't the case. Baby Lexi squirmed and squealed in my arms. I stroked her to reassure her everything was okay. If they wanted this adorable little piggle piglet, they would have to go through me.

I stepped up to the skinny cat-man in the lab coat, assuming he was Doctor Purreau. He should be the one to explain the craziness.

"Um…excuse me," I said.

"Hmm," he didn't look up from his clipboard. "What are you waiting for? Take a seat in the hatching machine and we'll get started…where's the other pet?" I clutched onto Baby Lexi protectively, but then registered what he was saying.

"Are…you talking to me?" He looked up from his clipboard and saw a young wizard holding a baby pet, both not suitable for hatching methods.

"Oh…my mistake! You're not a pet!"

"You _were _talking me," I said, freaked out at the realization.

"Serves me right for not paying attention…that would have been a disaster!"

"Umm…" I decided to get right down to the point. "What's with the scary looking machines? I thought this was a Hatchery?"

"This _is_ the Hatchery, where pets can hatch new pet eggs. It's a remarkable process! Just place two of your adult pets in the chairs of the machine, attach the brain wave modulators to their noggins, stand on the sigil, and then press the "Hatch" button. If two Wizards want to collaborate, both must stand on the sigil. Each can contribute a single adult pet. When you've both pressed the "Ready" buttons…Voila! A new egg! If two Wizards work together, they'll hatch two eggs!"

"It's not… painful, is it?"

"Of course not," said Doctor Purreau. "In fact, I have two pets in a machine already." He gestured to the machine behind him. The animals in the chairs did not seem to be in any torment as their brainwaves got sent into the big egg in the middle. "It's quite safe."

"You hear that Baby Lexi, we got scared for nothing." She stopped trembling in my arms and gave a friendly oink. Doctor Purreau continued,

"The egg will take after one of the original pets. Which pet and which traits… who can say? Once the egg has hatched, your new pet is just a baby, and needs to be trained and fed. You can train your pet with the activities offered in the Pet Pavilion. As you train your pet, as you train your pet, it will grow older and will develop new Talents and Powers. Pet Talents help you in magical duels, while Derby Powers are used in the Pet Derby. Some rare pets are extremely powerful, with astonishing abilities! Now I really must get back to my work, so unless you're ready to hatch a pet…"

"I'm good," I said; finally glad to be out of that place. Personally I wasn't a fan of the hatching idea, and it would also be a little bit before Baby Lexi wasn't a baby anymore. Of course, that place just gave me the creeps. That left the last store.

* * *

"Welcome to our shop!" said one of the boys as I entered. "This is the finest assemblage of exotic pet eggs you'll find! We have an inventory that ranges all across the Spiral!"  
"Indeed!" said the other boy. "You'll not find a better selection of Pet eggs anywhere in Wizard City!"

"The Spiral, that is! Anywhere in the Spiral!" corrected the first boy.

"Really? I had no idea!" I had a feeling that boy was a bit slow. Still, I looked around the shop. I was excited to see that they had dragon eggs! Unfortunately, that's where my visit had to end. I just got a pet, I couldn't think about getting another just yet.

* * *

"I trust that your tour of the grounds and its services was as entertaining as it was educational?"

"Yes, it was," I said upon arrival.

"As I mentioned previously, it is my honor to offer a wide variety of fine and unique items in trade for Arena Tickets."

"Why are you…oh yeah," I remembered. "You said you were going to talk more about that."

"Yes," he said. "You earn Arena Tickets if your pet does well in the Pet Derby, or you'll receive gold as a consolation prize. You can use Arena Tickets to buy things here or from my friend Diego on Unicorn Way."

"I was just there today," I said. "He's doing fine."

"Glad to hear it," said Sir Nigel Higgenbottom. "Mister Barker will no doubt wish to regale you with information about the wonderful world of the Pet Derby, so I won't detain you any further."

"Nice talking to you, Sir Nigel Higgenbottm." I then left to go talk to Mr. Barker.

"It's a good thing that Gen wasn't here, or she'd be making fun of his name," I told Baby Lexi. "I still wonder what she'll think about you," I said as we approached Mr. Barker.

"Well there, my prodigious prestidigitator! What did you think of our Pet Pavilion? I trust that my admirable associates bent your ear enough?" I noticed he used a lot of alliteration.

"Yep, my ear is pretty bent on pet care."

"Now that you've seen what wonders the Pet Pavilion offers, I encourage you to take advantage of the ample assortment of delightful diversions to train your pets." Gen would definitely make fun of the way this guy talks. "Your Energy governs how often you may train your pet. It returns over time, but if you need more energy and cannot abide, you may purchase an Energy Elixir."

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Lucky gave us crystal balls to measure our Energy and an Energy Elixir so we wouldn't overfish, so I knew what he was talking about already.

If you don't train your pet, it won't grow and mature, so it's very important to pay attention to your pet and train it as much as you can."

"I'll do that then."

"You'll do what now," said a voice behind me. I turned abruptly and there was Genevieve.

"Gen, you startled me!"

"Sorry," she said. "Well, I'm done delivering the elixir to Bartleby and…Em, why is there a winged pig in your arms?"

"Piggle is the accurate term," said Mr. Barker.

"This is Baby Lexi," I said, holding her in front of Genevieve. "She needs someone to take care of her, so I volunteered."

"Well, I figured this might happen," said Gen rolling her eyes. "Of course I thought you might have got a dragon."

"I don't have enough money for that; I spent it all on lures."

"You do know that Pigs are noisy, right?"

"Of course, but she's so cute, I couldn't get rid of her like that; she's just a baby."

"Also, 'Baby Lexi?' I could come up with a better name than that."

"I can't change it. We'll just have to live with it."

"I guess we're not eating pork?"

"We'll substitute."

"I thought it was bland anyway, and I guess we're also throwing 'when pigs fly' out the window?"

"We'll adjust."

"Alright, you can keep the pig."

"And you're helping me take care of her."

"What? Why?"

"She's living with both of us; we both need to have the responsibility. Of course I promise that if I get any dragons, I'll take care of them myself."

"Okay, that's fair; can she even fly?"

"I don't know," I admitted. I set her down on the ground. "Can you fly Baby Lexi? Come on, you can do it?" Baby Lexi squealed as she flapped her tiny wings very fast, and the only thing it accomplished was getting her to sit on her rump.

"I guess not. We'll have to train her," I said picking her up again. "I was just about to find out about the Pet Derby."

"Okay," said Gen. "Listen to what I have to say first."

Genevieve told me about her trip to see Bartleby. She told me what he said after giving him the elixir, about the saviors needed to save the city. I already knew about it though, of course it was a little troubling with the 'comes at night to torment' Bartleby part.

"You don't think he actually comes at night, right?" I asked.

"If he did, he won't anymore, not if we know about it."

"I don't know, there's not much anyone can do, except for Ambrose, but he's getting old."

"I still don't think Malistere wants to be caught. Oh yeah, Malistere was the one who stole Bartleby's eye."

"Why?" I asked horrified.

"His eyes were gifts from the Grandmother of Ravens, Lady Nightstar, his sister."

"So they're special?"

"One saw the past, and the other the future." It dawned on me.

"Bartleby can only see the future; Malistere stole the eye that can look into the past."

"The Eye of History; Malistere is looking into history; he probably thinks something from the past can aid him."

"Well, now we're a step closer to figuring out his plan; so much for no stress." Gen went to cheer me up.

"Don't be so sad, we have a new pet to look after."

"I guess you're right." I said. "Let's find out about the Pet Derby."

* * *

"If you've an interest in participating in the Pet Derby, I am just the fellow you need to speak to. Just a moment, though! Before I set your precious pet upon the perplexing paths of our Pet Derby, I must ask that you avail yourself of the information provided in the two rulebooks nearby."

"You mean those," said Genevieve, pointing to the two scrolls behind him.

"Yes those," said Mr. Barker. "One of the books is generous with guidance about practice matches, while the other volume summarizes those that are ranked. Go and pursue them at your leisure and stroll on back to me when you're sufficiently schooled." First we went and read the scroll on the right.

"In the Pet Derby, you can race your pet in practice matches with nothing to gain or lose," I read.

"The practice Pet Derby is a good way to learn the course and obstacles for each different track, and see which track your pet is best suited for," finished Genevieve. We then went over to read the other scroll. "In the ranked Pet Derby, your pet will race against other pets, with prizes such as Arena Tickets or gold. The last place pet receives gold while the other pets receive Arena Tickets."

"Your Pet's wins and losses are measured on your character sheet, and your pet will gain ranking in the Pet Derby based on its performance." After reading we went to go talk to Milo Barker.

He told us about the Derby, on how we had to cheer for our pet, watch out for bombs and banana peels, exploit our pet's powers, and aim for stars on the track to help aid our pet. After hearing everything though, I decided I didn't want to put Baby Lexi through that.

So, I then told Genevieve about the tour I went on, making fun of what I thought she would. She informed me the headmaster gave her a painting for our dorm which is why she was a little late; she was hanging it up. We decided that we needed to teach Baby Lexi how to fly at most. So we checked out some of the activities in the Pavilion.

We only had a few snacks on us, and checking out the activities, only two seemed interesting. So, we first put her through the way of the ninja pig (an obstacle course from Mooshu) and then we shot out of a cannon to knock down some makeshift fortresses (She wasn't hurt; she was protected by a magic barrier). By the time we were done, Baby Lexi couldn't fly per se, but she could follow us by flying above our shoulders, albeit slowly.

After training her all we could, we decided to spend the rest of our evening fishing, to calm our nerves over the events of today and introduce Lexi to the activity. Gen fished in Olde Town where she caught a Garrfish and a new necklace. I fished in the commons, where I fished so many rare fish Lucky said I should become an Initiate. Luckily, after explaining everything to our room, we did not have pork for dinner.

* * *

I honestly don't remember what I dreamed that night. I don't know if I slept well or badly. Still, with what happened the next morning, I wouldn't be surprised if my dreams held some sort of warning.

Baby Lexi slept on the edge of my bed that night, so she was the first thing I woke up to. In fact, the first thing I woke up to was her squealing. I knew she wouldn't be squealing unless something was bothering her. Was she hungry, or was it something else…

I opened my eyes and what I saw was frightening. The lights in the room were flickering on and off. The voice was trying to get something out, but it was coming out in scattered words. Breakfast was on the table, two muffins and partially full glasses of milk, the rest was splattered on the table.

I climbed out of bed, picking up Baby Lexi and stroking her to calm her down. I made my way over to the table and ate what was available. Baby Lexi cleaned up the milk spill.

"I guess it's good that you're here," I said petting her.

"Em," said Gen panicked. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. I just got up." She climbed out of bed and ate her breakfast, analyzing the situation. I did so as well as I fed Baby Lexi her Harvest Corn.

"Hmm," said Gen scratching her chin. "The lights, the voice, the food…" She pulled out her wand and tried casting a simple storm spell. It fizzled before the spell was even finished. "That doesn't usually fizzle."

"Let me try?" I tried a simple fire spell. With it, I levitated the crumbs and let them burst to ashes. "My magic works fine."

"I think I get it."

"Get what?"

"What's going on," clarified Gen.

"What would that be?"

"Em, we really need to get to Triton Avenue; the situation there is getting worse."

* * *

**Dun Dun Dun! A bit of a slight cliffhanger, things will be a bit more exciting in the next chapter. Of course I will be a bit cruel and focus on the background a bit more than foreground once again. I'm trying to stick true with the characters. Most mundane stuff like this will be used for filler, and if the game mechanics are mentioned a bit too much I will just not talk about it. Still, now they have a pet and will probably get another one. They have a way to earn some money. I'll try not to be like this too much. Just had to get this out of the way to get to the interesting stuff, plus I really liked the fire school quest and had to put in here. I always thought if I had to go through that, I would be a bit shocked afterwards; very story-esque. Anyways, tell me what you think in reviews. Until later...-Admiring**


	13. Pulling out the Big Guns(TritonAve pt3)

**Congrats everyone! I'm able to put up another chapter, of course I'm not sure if I can post another one soon, considering I'm back in school. Anyway, less like a let's play in this one, and more in-depth conversation. I'm not sure how I feel with how long the story chapter lasts, taking in the course of an entire day, but I'll let you guys be the judges! Also, this chapter may seem a bit quick paced, of course they're in a rush to get things done. I won't spoil anything else: Enjoy the Chapter!**

* * *

[First Person, Genevieve]

I CAN'T BELIEVE WE PUT SOMETHING AS IMPORTANT AS THIS OFF FOR A DAY!

"I can't believe we even put this off for even a day," I vented to Emily. "We should never have taken a break!"

"We were tired, it was late," Emily reasoned. "I'm also admitting I was a bit scared about facing future challenges after the screamers were hard to handle. I wanted to be more prepared."

LIKE THAT MEANS ANYTHING! I COULD HAVE COVERED FOR THE MISTEPS! WE COULDN'T JUST ABANDON THE SITUATION AFTER BEING SO GONE ALREADY!

"What we suggested we do was completely unlike you," I pointed out.

"What? What do you mean?"

"For the two months we've been here you've wanted to help out in any way you could, and then you decided out of the blue to take a day off!"

"HEY! For your information… if you haven't noticed already, me studying up on my skills to better myself _is_ like me! Why do you think I selected every secondary class despite the implied workload? I don't want to be helpless when I go to help or _I_ would need saving!"

Uh…Um...what?

"Don't you know that I would be there if you were ever in trouble?"

"We're not always together, you know. We both know your spells pack a punch on their own, while mine is overtime. I need to compensate power with skill, and to do that I need to study.

Okay…but…THAT STILL DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY SHE WASN'T IN A HURRY TO HELP OUT THE DAY BEFORE!

"Why'd you take the _day_ off? Why didn't you just study and go back to Triton Avenue to help? _That'_s unlike you!"

"I didn't plan that! I didn't expect to be so shaken up by what I had to do that day! You suggested I relax!"

"For the rest of the _school _day, **not** for the _entire_ day!"

"We had to do something for the headmaster! I didn't expect us to get a pet!" She gestured to Baby Lexi, who had hidden under her bed and squealing.

"You could have said 'no' to Ambrose, and you could have said 'no' to Mr. Barker. You could have said, 'we're busy, we can't do that right now,' or 'we're too busy to take care of a pet.'"

"Not all the time," argued Emily.

"No, you're right; it's just when duty calls."

"What'd you want me to do? Turn down a home for Baby Lexi?"

"That's what you would've done back at home; we're not **pet**-people!"

"We're not at home!" So, she expects me to believe that her personality COMPLETELY CHANGES WITH THE SCENERY! "I have the chance to own a dragon here, and you didn't think I'd want one."

"This _isn't_ a dragon! Why didn't you swap this piggle for a dragon?"

"I didn't have the money to buy a dragon! Besides, we've already bonded with her; it'd be cruel to just give her up!"

"Okay! So now we have to deal with a frightened piglet that won't stop squealing!"

"That's because we're fighting!"

"That's because you refused to return to Triton Avenue when it was in trouble!"

"_You_ could've gone at any time! You've already proven you're capable, despite the limitations!"  
"Apparently I can't! It doesn't feel right without you there, I feel like I can get hurt!"

"With your magic!?"

"Who cares about my power?! I'm just not in the same scale as you! It's not like I saw a vision in the Fire of Destiny, I just made a stupid Leyden jar!" There was silence as the lights flickered.

"Next to you, Em, I feel insignificant. You have a huge heart, taking in a piggle with no home, wanting to help all these people you barely know; all I really care about is you and not making a fool of myself."

"Still, you want to help out your street, now _that's_ unlike **you.**"

"Just because of what's going on right now," I said. "Look at what it's doing to the power in basic spells, and my Storm magic. Perhaps I'll be lucky, it'll be stronger on Triton Avenue and I'll be able to fix this."

"What about Susie and Artur?"

"I'm worried about that too," I admitted. "Not because they're fellow Storm students or anything, but because they're another group of siblings. If that were us I'd be asking for help as well; that's why I don't want to abandon them."

"We'll help them," said Emily. "I'm sorry for putting this off. You're right, it's not like me."

"I'm sorry for not understanding your situation and your anxiety. I keep forgetting this is hard for you too." We hugged; we then noticed the lights flickering and returned our focus to the situation. We discussed it as we were changing.

"So, how do you think the situation on Triton Avenue got worse?"

"We lowered the amount of dead on the street two days ago. Since we took a day off, the amount of dead got a chance raise again. It should start to be reaching overwhelming amounts."

"What's that got to do with the power flux?"

"The dead are after the mill. If they find a chance to over-run or worse destroy it, Wizard City's magic and power will be disabled in the most part."

"Once that happens, the dead will be able to overwhelm Wizard City."

"And no doubt they'll be exploiting the power they gathered from the street."

"That's bad," said Emily, starting to tend to her hair quickly.

"Yeah, that's not the worst part," I told her. "If the dead get what they're aiming for, they won't have a need to hold hostages anymore."

"Artur…you're saying…"

"I don't know," I admitted. "It's possible though, where else do you think he could be?"

"Good point," said Emily, finishing her touch-ups.

"Shall we get going?"

"Wait," said Emily. "What about Baby Lexi?"

"What about her?"

"Are we going to just leave her here, with the lights flickering and the magic acting wonky and everything?"

"She's not a fast flyer yet, she wouldn't be able to keep up. So, unless you want to carry her the entire way."

"Oh," said Emily, looking back at Baby Lexi. She pulled her out from under the bed, and stroked her to calm her. "I guess since she's not a fast flyer she can't do much damage here."

So after leaving out some Firecat gummies and more harvest corn for her to eat later, we headed to Triton Avenue.

* * *

As soon as we made it to the street we rushed the Haunted minions, not even assessing how many there were. The battle was so intense we were pulling out treasure cards and I even tried out the new spell I learned. Luckily, as I hunched, my Storm magic was stronger on this street.

"_Mystic Divine, make it thine, from Storm to Myth, now it's fine_!"

From all our fighting, we cleared all but one section of the street, at least from that area. I also saw from the aftermath that maybe Emily had a point when she said we needed a day to brush up on our skills. Our strategy had improved, and Emily wasn't as drained as before. As for me, I replaced my flawed opal ring with a simple one, so I could be better protected. After all that was over, we headed over to Susie.

"Where were you guys yesterday? I expected you to show up but you never did."

"About that," said Emily. "We're sorry, it's just a lot of things happened yesterday."

"Well, I can understand if things come up, but we need to find my brother and I don't know how much I can handle this by myself."

"About that," I said. "Duncan asked us the day before to clear out some of the undead and instead we cleared out nearly the entire side of this street."

"That's awesome," said Susie. "Thank you so much! This will be much easier for me!"

"Hopefully this will help make up for us being gone yesterday," said Emily. "We'll double the effort as long as we're here and make sure you can take the street back."

"You guys are the best," said Susie.

"We have to be," I reminded. "This is my street as well, and I don't want anything happening to it, for my sake."

"Well, I guess we should fill in Duncan on how Haunted minions fight," said Emily.

"Like he'll need that information; there's only a few left. Still, if we must…you can do it Em, for you have more patience than I do."

"Gee thanks," said Emily blankly. I shouldn't keep volen-telling her to do these things, but what can you do about it, I can't stand the guy.

"I'll meet you on the other side of the street."

* * *

Once on the other side, I waited for Emily to show up, occupying my time by picking Cattails. As soon as she joined me, we went up the stairs to confront Blad.

"Where were you two yesterday," he questioned. "The number of the Undead on the street has gone up exponentially. I'm doing everything to keep the crows from attacking the crops."

"Is that why the mill isn't working right?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for starters the light keeps flickering in our room," Emily explained. "The voice that wakes us up is all static-y and Gen's Storm magic is on the fritz anywhere but here."

"Oh phew, I thought the power is on the fritz, but it turns out to just be the magic."

"So anyone who doesn't have magic is fine?" I questioned. Were we freaking out for nothing?

"It's another part of Triton Avenue that handles the power for Wizard City, and it's safe. Of course, the mill not working is a problem for Storm magic. Of course, I haven't had time to focus on it with all the crows!"

"Sorry Blad," said Emily. "Some things happened yesterday."

"Well then you are excused." That seems to be a very easy excuse; people are forgiving that like it's nothing. I wonder if I can say that anytime else and I'll be forgiven.

"We'll just lower the number of Rotting Fodders for starters," I said.

"Then maybe we can break for lunch," said Emily holding her stomach. My stomach growled; we did only have a muffin this morning.

"Yes, then we can break for lunch."

* * *

We took out most of the Rotting Fodders, leaving only two sections of the street with them. Surprisingly, Emily didn't really break a sweat, and these guys were using a lot of Storm magic. I even got to hear her say her new spell; I still didn't know how she said it so quickly. "_Fire feeds fire, that isn't so, thus fire's bite I send to go; send in new fire, that from Ice, make my flame burn twice or thrice; trap my foe, and make it last, so that when my flame doth pass, it not burn but chill to morning ash__!"_ That training really paid off for her. As for me, I wished I had paid more attention to my lesson yesterday; fighting the Rotting Fodders was a struggle and it was draining my mana. At least I got to see my new spell work in the way it was supposed to.

After we were done, to congratulate us, Blad served us some lunch: grilled perch and peas.

"Thanks again for lunch, Blad," I said as I ate.

"Don't mention it," said Blad. "With most of the Undead cleared, most of the crows went away. Those crows won't go away though; I need to finish those scarecrows so I can get back to tending the mill."

"You know what, since we need to inform Duncan on how Rotting Fodders fight, Emily can do that while I go fight the Field Guards." Emily started choking on her food.

"Why do you keep volunteering me for that! You think I have some miraculous patience with him?!"

"I said I didn't want to be left alone with him again, and I want the Mill working as soon as possible; plus this will be a good way to finish those notes that Penny gave us. Do you have them?" She pulled them out of her bag and handed them to me. "Thank you."

* * *

After Lunch, we parted ways; Emily to see Duncan, and me towards the Haunted cave to fight Field Guards. Here's what I can say about them: there's about four in a cluster, they use mainly Storm magic and you can beat them in about five turns, maybe more. These guys were incredibly smart too; gave me a run for my money. They certainly were not like Jack. Of course, I managed to gather up enough hay for the scarecrows and filled out the reports for Penny.

On my way back to Blad, I ran into Emily making her way down the street. I informed her about the Field Guards in-case she were to run into them in the future. She also informed me about what she found out.

"So Rotting Fodders are _not_ supposed to be able to use Storm Magic?"

"Yeah," said Emily. "At least that's what Duncan said."

"So they _are _taking the magic here and using it for themselves."

"In a way, yeah," said Emily. "I talked to Susie about it. She said they are wearing Storm medallions of some sort."

"I noticed that as well; I just figured they supposed to have them." I have never seen a Rotting Fodder before recently; of course I wouldn't notice anything strange about them.

"Anyway," said Emily. "I supposed to somehow get one of the Storm medallions from them so Duncan can have a closer look at it."

"Doesn't sound fun; as for me, I'm going to give this hay to Blad and then go return the reports to Penny."

"I think I'll join you," said Emily, changing directions. "Those Rotting Fodders aren't going anywhere."

* * *

"Ah you returned with the Straw we need. Excellent," said Blad as we approached. "The last thing we need are some sticks for support. The best sticks to get are from the trees around Stormdrain Tower at the end of the Haunted Cave. You should collect them from there."

"But we have plenty of Mistwood," I said.

"That won't do. These need to be firm, thin, sticks. I'll start wrapping up the straw while you go and get the sticks." I turned to Emily.

"I really want the Storm Mill to be in order again, so I should probably get those sticks as soon as possible."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked. I handed her Penny's reports.

"Just bring these to Penny and come back, you know, if you can find her."

So I went back to the Haunted Cave, travelling along the cave's sidewalks. I questioned why the dead didn't attack me there; there were no water or unicorns. I guessed that maybe the dead just didn't want to go near the home entryways. I made it to Stormdrain Tower, gathered the estimated amount of sticks I needed, and headed back to Blad.

"Very good work," he said after I gave him the Sticks. "These will work just fine. Now I'll get to finishing them up and shipping them out immediately." He then started to put the finishing touches on the scarecrows and there were a lot of them. "Hoo-ha! I really do appreciate you helping me with these scarecrows, but as you might have guessed, something else has been bothering me lately."

"Is it about the mill?"

"Yes it's about the mill. I'm worried about our mill foreman, Sohomer Sunblade. I haven't seen him since the mill quit running and one of those ghosts made off with the Keystone to the teleporter here." He pointed to the teleportation pad near us.

"How long has the mill been not working?"

"Ever since five days ago."

"And _now_ it's starting to affect us?"

"The city has been working on stored power."

"Oh, I can believe that."

"Anyway, if you could, defeat Haunted Minions until you recover the Keystone. Then we can check on old Sohomer." I chuckled a little.

"This should be easy, seeing as there are hardly any left it really narrows it down. I'll go get the Keystone."

* * *

While I was heading out to do the task, I ran into Emily again.

"Worksheets delivered," she said astutely.

"Well done. I need to knock around some Haunted Minions so I can recover a Keystone to a teleporter so I can go see the foreman."

"Okay, I guess I can help you with that, considering that I'm already here. It'll be twice as fast."

With Emily's help it was twice as fast. In fact, we managed to clear the last of the haunted minions off of the street. Once they were all gone, the Keystone was ours for the taking.

"No more Haunted Minions," I noted excitedly.

"The street seems to be safe to walk now," added Emily.

"This is great! Things are definitely moving in the right direction! You can go tell Susie that she start moving people back onto the street while I bring the Keystone to Blad." No annoyed retorts this time. She didn't have to talk to Duncan and she knew how much I wanted the mill to work again. She went to go talk to Susie and I dashed to Blad.

* * *

"Thank you for getting the Keystone!" said Blad, taking it from me. He fit the Keystone into the teleporter and it began to glow and hum with life. "The teleporter is fixed! I'm glad some things are going right around here."

"You have no idea," I said. I then told him about the other half of the street.

"It's great that things are starting to go back to normal. Before that can that happen though, we need to get the mill going again."

"Right," I agreed. Blad agreed to make me and Emily dinner if we were to succeed in starting the mill again. Of course, we had to deliver. Since Blad would be busy with dinner, he wanted me to go check on Sohomer for him. I was just hoping that Sohomer was fine on his own for the past five days; Blad told me he lived secluded on a cliff face. By the time, I went to step on the teleporter; Emily had caught up with me.

"Susie says she's going to wait until her brother's back before she starts doing that," she said upon arrival.

"Hey Em, I'm going to go check on the mill foreman, see if he's alright. Blad will have dinner ready for us around six."

"Okay, I'm going to go fight some Rotting Fodders, get some Storm medallions. Blad save me a plate, I'll be late."

"Alright, will do," said Blad. We separated once more.

* * *

As soon as I came through the teleporter, I saw the man I was looking for right next to it.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Genevieve," I told him. "I was sent to check to see if you were okay."

"I'm fine, you whippersnapper! But we have to get the Storm Mill working again!" I had a feeling he did not know who I was; that would make sense, but it was a new feeling for me in a while. "This mill here is one of the main sources of magical energy for all of Wizard City. The Undead sabotaged it!"

"I knew it!" I proclaimed. "I knew we shouldn't have taken that day off."

"What?"

"Nothing," I backtracked.

"Anyway, we need to get the mill running again, or we'll all be in serious trouble. Professor Balestrom helped design the Storm Mill, so he might know how to fix it."

"Hey he's my Professor," I pointed out.

"Good, he'll have time for you then. Go to Professor Balestrom and ask his advice. Go quickly!"

"Quickly? You do know Ravenwood is on the other side of the city, right?"

"You're a wizard, aren't ya? Can't you teleport there?"

"Yeah, but it's a bit uncomfortable; feels like I have static-"

"Magic is at stake here!"

"Fine, I'll do it."

Teleportation was never fun for me. Whenever I teleported, I felt like I had just been rubbing my feet on the carpet and I touched some metal. According to my teacher, whenever Storm students teleport they get struck with Storm magic like lightning and disappear in a blaze of light, turning into a cloud briefly, they arrive at their destination with burst of light like a lightning strike. All I experience is having the Storm magic envelope me, clouds clouding my vision, them parting towards the same light as before in a new location. It takes about thirty seconds to teleport, but I don't feel time difference.

Emily's teleportation magic is a little different. She bursts into flame briefly, turning to smoke, only to arrive in an erupting flame at her new destination. She tells me all she can experience is feeling warm as a summer day when the flames come up, and when the flames dispersed she was in a new place. So apparently, to teleport she turns into flame.

I took my wand in both hands and focused. I was enveloped in a flash of light, the clouds entered my vision, they dispersed and I was in the Commons. A better route would have been to teleport home, but I was still new to this.

I rushed to Ravenwood, and then the Storm School. I headed in to tell my teacher everything, whilst short of breath.

"Dire news indeed," said my teacher. "If the mill is not restored, Triton Avenue will lose magical power and the rest of Wizard City will follow."

"I knew it!" I cried. "Is that why my Storm magic is on the fritz?"

"You should be lucky it still works on Triton Avenue; but yes, Storm magic will be the first to go."

"But the dead are using it for themselves!"

"That's even worse; but don't worry, everything can be fixed! We must act right away!"

"Tell Sohmer he can summon a Kraken using Lumina Crystals. Then, he can siphon its power back into the Storm Mill and get it working again!"

"How am I supposed to deliver this quickly to the other side of the city; I can't exactly teleport there?"

"Did you checkmark your spot at least?" Checkmarking your spot: storing some of your mana in a certain location so you can fix onto it later when you teleport.

"No I did not," I said dejectedly. I do not like teleporting, so I did not think of it.

"We'll work on your teleportation skills later; for now though, I suggest you start running."

* * *

"Ha-ha-made it," I said out of breath as I reached Blad's again.

"You didn't say you were going to be late as well," said Blad.

"What? Oh right! Dinner, I forgot, it's probably cold isn't it?"

"Yes," said Blad. "I could heat it up for you if you'd like?"

"Did Emily already eat her dinner?"

"Actually, she hasn't made it back yet; of course, by the looks of it she'll be here soon." He was looking down the bridge. I looked down the bridge, there was Emily making her way back.

"I can eat when she gets here. I have to tell Sohomer something."

"Where did you go?"

"Oh, he wanted me to immediately talk to my teacher about something, so I teleported there."

"You didn't teleport back?"

"I don't know how to do that."

"Hey guys, is dinner ready," said Emily. Oh, now I could eat.

Emily heated up our cold chicken and potato dinners with her fire magic.

"So, how's the foreman," said Emily taking a bite of chicken.

"He's knows how to get the mill working again. Get this, the undead did sabotage it and if it goes down we lose our magic."

"Meanwhile, the dead will have all the Storm magic at their disposal because of these Storm medallions," she said placing them on the table. "It would not be a fair fight."

"You got them," I said grinning.

"Yeah, but it wasn't easy." I picked one up.

"So these have been giving the undead Storm magic." As I touched the engravings on it, I could feel the hum of an electrical storm pulsing within it. "This is some powerful stuff."

"Good news though," said Emily. "Only one section of the street has Rotting Fodders. The Scarlet Screamers are still a threat though."

"You still have been making everything easier for us," said Blad, cleaning up. "I managed to ship out all the Scarecrows to the fields. Those crows won't be disrupting our food supply anymore, that's for sure."

"Maybe that's why we have such good food," I said. We laughed.

"Anyway," said Emily. "After we're done eating, I need to get these Storm medallions to Duncan, see what he can make out from them and maybe the reason why the undead have got their hands on them."

"I'll pass if you're talking to Duncan. I need to get some information to Sohomer anyway."

"Okay, but I hope you're happy; sending me to tell him everything, he's very arrogant. He didn't think we would survive fighting all the undead and he sent us anyway!"

I jabbed my fork into the table. The guy really ticks me off; at least Emily was being a lot calmer about this.

* * *

After stepping through the portal, he immediately asked me what my teacher suggested.

"Do you have any Lumina crystals?" I asked.

"What? Of course I do, what kind of question is that? I mean the Storm Mill makes'em."

"It does? I didn't know that."

"The mill makes Storm magic, and that is stored in the crystals. Now why do I need'em?"

"He says you can summon a Kraken with them and then it can power the mill once you siphon it's power."

"By Gamma's Beak! Why didn't I think of that? He's a genius!"

"He certainly knows more than me; that's why he's my teacher." He wasn't exactly listening to me; he had gone back inside his house and was rummaging through his items. He then came out with a barrel.

"Here," he said giving the barrel to me. "I'll activate this teleporter. Take all the Lumina Crystals I have down to the arena. The Kraken will be drawn to them."

"This is all you have?"

"There's a lot in there; believe me. Just spill them out by the river, draw the Kraken onto land, and then defeat it with your magic."

"Defeat it with my magic? That's not going to be easy; storm doesn't affect storm too much, and I think Kraken's are not that easy to beat."

"They're not," said Sohomer. "Use some other magic to defeat it. I do hope that you're up for this, because you will have to defeat the Kraken if Triton is going to survive. What am I saying; I know you can do it! You've come this far already."

"You know about that?"

"You're on Triton Avenue when everything is falling to bits, and plus I just feel you're someone important."

"Well, I'm not the only one; I'm going to need her help for this."

* * *

"Is Emily back yet?" I said, exiting the teleporter.

"Not quite yet," said Blad.

"I should go get her then, we have a plan to fix the mill!" I started running to the other teleporter, and I ran into Emily. My sister sure has timing.

"What's the rush, Gen?" she asked, regaining her bearings.

"I was actually looking for you."

"You were?"

"Yeah, I need your help with something. I need to fight a Kraken, and I can't do it alone."

"_Why_ do you need to fight a Kraken?"

"We need to defeat it to siphon its power into the mill."

"Sounds cruel," she said.

"Magic is at stake, Em!"

"Alright fine, I'll help," she said. "Of course I have something I need to do as well. I need some Lumina Crystals from the Storm Mill."

"Why do _you_ need them?

"Duncan needs them; he says it can help him figure out who gave the dead Storm medallions because they have storm magic inside them, and they will react to the medallions, and find the outlier."

"I didn't get that, but okay. Listen, Sohomer has lots of Lumina Crystals. You help me get the Storm Mill working again, and I bet he'll gladly give you some."

"I was originally going to ask Blad, but I'm sure that'll work too."

"Good, now let's go!"

* * *

Introductions were short as I introduced Emily to Sohomer Sunblade; I mainly focused on moving the barrel, which I also needed Emily's help for. We exited the other teleporter and arrived in an abandoned coliseum in the river. I popped open the lid to the barrel with a lightning blast, dragged the barrel into the middle and spilled out the crystals, tossing away the barrel. I retreated back to the edge with Emily to wait for the Kraken to show up.

The Kraken arrived. I pulled out my wand, while Emily…did nothing.

"Why aren't you fighting with your wand?!" I asked.

"I decided not to use it for the time being," she said. "Lets me practice my hand magic, which is admittedly more fun."

"We're fighting a Kraken!" I cried in disbelief. The Kraken noticed us as the ones who summoned it and were ready for a fight. It was happy to oblige us.

"The sea's greatest wrath is about to come crashing down on you," it said. No chance in avoiding it now; wand or no wand, I would still need my sister's help. We entered the circle, with me in first position and Emily in second.

The battle only lasted ten minutes with both of us there. The first thing I did was cast a Scarab, which admittedly wasn't that smart. Emily cast a Firecat, which was more affective in the long run. The Kraken was so stunned it didn't make a move; but then it started to get angry so I moved on to my next move. I cast a Thundersnake and Emily cast a Fire prism; I didn't understand that choice of spell.

The Kraken unleashed its anger onto Emily, which nearly made me jump out of my skin. It moved right into the duel circle, and threw a direct bolt of lightning at her. Emily now looked a little dizzy after that strike. I was worried; she had no protection from that attack.

"Are you okay, Emily?" She shook her head, to clear it.

"I'm fine," she said. "I just feel a little funny."

It was most likely her magic was dampened. Both of our next spells fizzled, but why was Emily trying to cast an Ice spell? The Kraken then cast a spell at me, a Thundersnake. I wasn't that worried, I had protection. Luckily the dampening of magic doesn't last very long. Both our next spells hit their mark.

I cast a Thundersnake at the Kraken with limited success, while Emily cast a Firecat, finishing it off. I was confused; Emily fared really well in that battle, and she also seemed to know what she was doing. I asked her about it.

"Apparently, I learned that Ice magic is a dampener for Storm."

"Okay," I said, noting that for later. "You still fared pretty well in that battle. Fire magic seemed to have taken it down more, even though it should have been dampened."

"That's only if it strikes me, and that's only for a little bit."

"I still question how I was having a harder time."

"You're too confident in your abilities; it was mainly Storm magic affiliated, Storm would have little effect as it was, never mind your magic being on the fritz. Seriously, if you thought you could do it alone, why'd you get me to help you?"

"Because I knew what you're saying is true. I just…seeing it personally…it doesn't make me feel good." I guess it was just my depression making me feel worthless again.

"I bet I would have had a tougher time if you weren't here."

"I doubt it; you only cast two Fire spells and it went down; it would have been a lot easier for you than me."

"You're still my big gun," she told me. "Don't let every setback get to you." If only it were that easy.

We turned from our conversation to notice the Storm magic from the defeated Kraken flowing into the air and up into the mill.

"I guess the mill will be working again," I said.

"That's good news," said Emily. "Your magic will be working better."

"Yeah that's the good news; of course, we may also have some bad news."

"And that would be?"

"If the mill is working again, that would put a wrench in the plans of the undead. They meant to sabotage it, and keep Storm magic for themselves. If they can't have that, they may not find a reason to keep whoever they're keeping anymore. They wouldn't just let them go either."

"Artur," said Emily in realization. "We may still have some time though. I just need to get some Lumina Crystals for Duncan." She looked around.

"Where did they go?" I saw what she was seeing: the Lumina Crystals we used as bait were gone.

"They have been swept away in the battle; and those were all of Sohomer's crystals."

"I guess I'm back to square one."

"I'll help you." She looked at me in surprise. "If the Storm Mill is working again, I have no reason not to."

* * *

"You defeated the Kraken and fixed the Mill! Now, Lumina Crystals will be produced again. The magic will flow once more!" said Sohomer as we exited the teleporter.

"Well that's always good news," said Emily.

"It's good to know Wizards like you, my friends! I hope you two will visit us again. Here's a gift of my gratitude." He handed us a long blue runner for our room. I hoped Baby Lexi wouldn't scuff it up.

"We might, who knows," I said. "Listen, Sohomer, are you sure you don't have any more Lumina Crystals on stock."

"Not with me, no; you might want to ask Blad Raveneye about that, I'm sure he has way more than me."

"It really is back to square one," said Emily.

"Well thanks anyway, Sohomer," I said as we entered the other teleporter, to begin our search for Lumina Crystals.

"Good news, Blad," I said as we exited. "The mill is working again!"

"I noticed," said Blad happily with a laugh. "Well done."

"Speaking of the mill," said Emily. "We need some Lumina Crystals to help out Duncan Grimwater with the Undead investigation. They should react with the medallions."

"You need Lumina Crystals for your investigation? Why, I'd give you some, but my entire inventory was taken by the Undead!"

"Of course it was," I said exasperated.

"If you can get over to the street and take back my barrels, I will gladly share them with you."

"Fine, which creature do we have to fight to get them?"

"Actually Gen, when I was out there last, I saw some barrels on the side walk," said Em.

"Really, huh, that will be easy. Why would the Undead leave barrels of Lumina Crystals on the sidewalk if they stole them in the first place?"

"Who cares, at least they're ours for the taking! Let's go!"

* * *

It was starting to get dark; we had to be careful not to mis-step off the sidewalk, for the Undead like to romp around after dark. Emily and I split up, her taking one side of the street while I took the other, just like with the fairies. Luckily there were street lamps, that way I wasn't completely blind. It wasn't so easy for me to create my own light, unless I wanted the magic to continuously spark which wasn't comfortable for me. We searched the entirety of our side of the street, and we managed to find three barrels for each of us to carry back to Blad.

Once we got them back to Blad, he used a headlight to examine the barrel, probably to make sure they were all accounted for.

"I don't believe it!" he cried out.

"What is it?" said Emily.

"These Lumina Crystals you brought me have been drained of Magic!"

"What!" Emily and I cried at the same time.

"I'll bet those Undead have a way of stealing power from them!"

"They must have been dumping barrels of Lumina Crystals onto the sidewalks once they were done draining them," Emily realized.

"So this is how they've been taking the Storm magic for themselves," I said examining the drained crystals.

"The question is how are they doing it?" asked Emily. "Do you think this has to do with the medallions?"

"I'm not sure," said Blad. "You better take a crystal back to Duncan. I'm sure he'll want to see this."

"Most definitely," said Emily. "Come on, Gen!"

"Ugh," I groaned in protest.

"You've avoided him long enough, now come on!"

We rushed to Duncan as fast as we could, Emily lighting a path for us with a fireball. Once we reached him, he had snarky remark on hand.

"Oh, you found her," he said to Emily. He then turned to me, "Decided to help out after all?"

"Save it, Duncan," I said. "We have something for you." Emily presented him with the crystal.

"This looks different," he said upon examination.

"It's been drained of Storm magic," I told him. "After being stolen by the Undead."

"What! The Undead are able to steal magic from the Lumina Crystals? They are too dim-witted to know how to do this on their own. Someone must be helping them!"

"We could've guessed that," I told him flatly.

"Not the time," said Emily. "Duncan can you make something out from this?"

"Not quite," he said. "We still need a _charged_ Lumina Crystal to find the source of the Storm Medallions."

"Well how are we supposed to get one?" I asked aggravated. "All the Lumina Crystals we found were drained."

"Well, the Undead might still be carrying some."

"I didn't pick any up from any Rotting Fodders," said Emily.

"Well then that would just leave the Scarlet Screamers. You should try fighting them until you find a charged Lumina Crystal, then return it to me so we can finish the investigation. You might have a problem, Genevieve, because Scarlet Screamers are conjurers."

"I'm well aware of that!" I yelled. "Em, it's getting very late, and I'm tired from fighting the Kraken."

"You were fighting a Kraken?"

"I had to get the mill working somehow! Listen, can't we continue this tomorrow? It's very dark out, we've got the mill working again, and we've already cleared enough of the Undead for today."

"That's just the thing, Gen," said Emily. "You said that now since the Storm Mill is working again, Artur may be in more danger."

"She does have a point," said Duncan. "The Undead are known to be relentless, but I figure this mastermind who's aiding them will know when he's beaten and cut all lose ends, including Artur."

"Exactly, and I can't go to bed knowing that someone's life hangs in the balance. It's better we find out where he is and who has him as soon as possible. Besides, we're not doing anything tomorrow; we can afford to stay up later."

"Fine, I'll stick with," I settled, "only because I don't want you getting hurt."

"Great, then we better get going."

* * *

It took a bit to actually find a crystal that was charged. I was almost not believing Duncan theory on Scarlet Screamers possessing the crystals, and to boot I was being covered in Bloodbat slime. Still, it was helpful we were clearing them out. We managed to clear out three sections of the street before we found one. Man, I was starting to really feel exhausted; it amazed me of how Emily could keep going. I'm just thankful she decided to use her wand again after fighting them.

"Better to light the way," she told me.

I was running on fumes by the time we got back to Duncan.

"Duncan," said Emily. "We got the crystal." I was leaning against the bridge post, trying hard to stay awake.

"You got the crystal from the Scarlet Screamers? Great! Now we can figure out what is going on here! And especially who is behind this!" He waved his wand over the Lumina Crystal and the Storm Medallion. Magical electricity arced between them and an image of a Field Guard surrounded by fire appeared in the crystal!

"Of course!" said Duncan. Meanwhile, I had no idea what the picture meant.

"What?" asked Emily. He turned to her.

"Go tell Susie Gryphonbane that the Undead on Triton Avenue are being lead by the Harvest Lord, and he has captured her brother!"

"So he's the one behind all of this…who exactly is heee…" I couldn't finish my sentence, because at that moment I fell over, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Gen," I heard Emily say, concerned. Duncan was saying something in the background, but I didn't hear him. Emily reached in my bag and pulled out the crystal ball with blue fluid, placing it in my hand. She then reached in my bag again and pulled out my potion flask. She uncorked it and poured it down my throat. Soon all my energy came back with the taste of grape soda.

"I would let you rest," said Emily. "Of course, I don't think I should be fighting the Harvest Lord by myself. After we save Artur, then we can sleep soundly."

"Of course now that you've given me this potion, I'll be up all night."

"Then play around with Baby Lexi a bit, that'll tire you out fast. Right now though, we should go tell Susie about Artur."

* * *

"Susie we were right about our hunch," I told her. "Your brother has been captured."

"Duncan managed to find out who did it," continued Emily. "It's the one leading all the Undead here, the Harvest Lord."

"My brother's been captured," said Susie panicked. "We have to save him." She paused as if realizing something. "Oh no! I'll bet that when Artur was scouting the Haunted Cave, the Undead kidnapped him. He's probably at the Harvest Lord's tower right now!"

"You don't say," I said sarcastically. Emily put a hand on me to be stern.

"They must've thought your brother was meddling too much," said Emily. "Of course, don't worry; we're planning on going right now to get him back."

"Oh thank you!" cried Susie. "Please, if you defeat the Harvest Lord, you'll not only save my brother, but you stop all the haunting on this street."

"That's the plan," I said.

"Right, we don't have any time to waste," said Emily. "Let's go.

* * *

"I'm just saying it's weird that the guy lives on the street, and no one even thought it could have been him," I told Emily on our way there.

"They probably thought he was too locked up to cause trouble."

"And I wonder who could have released him," I said sarcastically. It was pretty obvious at this point.

"Malistere," said Emily to herself.

"Anyway, let's go over battle tactics: what do we know about the Harvest Lord?"

"From what Duncan told me, he is a very powerful Field Guard who deals in fire magic. He was locked up because he kept trying to leave the Haunted Cave."

"So he's leading all the ones who have decided to leave," I said to myself. "One thing's for certain, we know you can't be the one to face him, Em."

"Why not?"

"Because he's a Pyromancer and a powerful one to boot; it's just like me with the Kraken earlier, you won't have much of an effect on him, and meanwhile, I just might."

"What about his minion?"

"The minion usually tends to be something from the street, and we haven't run into anything that can exploit your weakness; you'll be fine."

"I hope so." We had arrived to the place Emily's wand directed us. Another dungeon, one with its security broken; truth be told I was a little nervous, more nervous for Emily this time. I couldn't help it. Emily had worked past Storm's effect of dampening fire spells, so she had been fine all day; now the tables have turned, and she was at a disadvantage. With everything she faced yesterday, I didn't want her to be alone for this; it's another reason I wanted the mill fixed so badly, it was so I could be her big gun when she needed it.

We stepped onto the sigil. We said 'In please,' and the countdown started. When it stopped, we were teleported inside to face the foe.

* * *

As soon as we entered, we noticed a couple things: first thing was that the room didn't have anyone for us to fight; the second thing was a boy tied up in the back of the room.

"Where is the Harvest Lord?" I questioned.

"Artur Gryphonbane?" questioned Emily. The boy turned to us.

"Yes, I am here! Help me, please!" Emily was about to head over, but I stopped her. In an eruption of flame, appeared a Field Guard. Emily tensed up, sensing his power. Bursting out of the basement was a Rotting Fodder. I was a bit relieved; Emily was fighting those all day, so it should be easy for her.

"So, you two Wizards have also uncovered Malistere's plan. Too bad you'll have to remain here with the other Wizard! All of you will be powerless to stop us!" I had a feeling he didn't know what was going on.

"Do you not know who we are and what we've been doing?" I asked.

"What's that?" he was a bit surprised I spoke back to him.

"We already saved two parts of the city from Malistere and we've already fixed the Storm Mill you sabotaged."

"What!?" cried the Harvest Lord. "I guess that _definitely_ means you're staying here. You will not get in the way of our plans. We will have to try again even harder!"

"We wiped out most of your Undead fleet," said Emily. "Good luck getting that back up."

"The Haunted Cave isn't called 'Haunted' for nothing! Once I regrow my forces and utterly destroy the Storm Mill, harboring all that Storm magic for my fleet, Wizard City will have nothing left to aid it! Soon after the Undead will drive out all the citizens and take over the rest of the city! And with the school in our hands, we will rule Wizard City! Ambrose will at last be crushed! Mwahahahaha!"

"Hang on there, buddy, you're threatening too many things we care about."

"You're also forgetting that we've been saving Wizard City so far without any slack, so what's making you think you can stop us," I added.

"Let's see how you deal with the better Pyromancer and Diviner duo." Artur realized who we were then.

"The Saviors of Wizard City!" he cried.

"What? Them?" The Harvest Lord looked at us. "So you're the ones Malistere warned me about. I won't hold back then." Emily tensed up at that; seeing as she nearly had a close encounter with Malistere, I could understand her terror.

"Em," I shook her out of her state. "Fight Harvest Lord now, freak out later!"

"Right," she said, slipping out of her daze.

We entered our respective spots, with me facing the Harvest Lord and Em facing the Rotting Fodder. The Harvest Lord went first, creating an Ice shield for the Rotting Fodder, probably so the magic wouldn't get dampened. The Rotting Fodder did nothing. I cast a Scarab at the Harvest Lord, while Em cast a Thundersnake (possibly remembering that Storm still packs a punch despite the resistance, or knowing the fact that these weren't true Diviners.

The Harvest Lord then turned up the heat, casting a Fire snake at me or whatever it was called. I was aching and was seriously burned, though I couldn't stop fighting yet. The Rotting Fodder then decided to react to the Harvest Lord's kindness by giving him a myth shield. I cast a Bloodbat spell at him; because I knew the only way to break that shield was to attack it. Admittedly, it would have been smarter to pick a spell that could do some damage; of course, I was just using wand magic, instead of the spells I knew. Emily cast a Firecat, wiping out the Rotting Fodder. Now all she had to face was the Harvest Lord; great, now I had to beat this guy fast.

The Harvest Lord was obviously getting nervous without his big gun to back him up. He tried to cast another Fire spell at me, but it fizzled in his fumbling. I decided to stop messing around and cast a Lightning Bats spell. That did a lot of damage, but it wasn't enough. Emily tried blasting a fireball at him, but that wasn't enough either.

The Harvest decided to change tactics and switched opponents. Knowing fire magic wouldn't work on her, he used Life magic instead summoning an Imp to attack her. That made me mad. I did what he did, casting an Imp, and it took him out in my cold fury. The duel circle disbanded, and I went to check on Emily, aching from my burn as I did.

"Emily, are you alright?" I asked with my voice cracking.

"I'm fine," she said. "You're in worse shape than I am."

"No, it's nothing," I said. Emily took out the two red Crystal balls, one in my hand and one in hers; hers had more fluid than mine.

"This says otherwise." She took out a pixie card, and blasted it with magic, summoning a pixie.

"What have we here," said the pixie in a high pitched voice.

"She got burned," she said pointing to me. The pixie circled around me, the magic she left then enveloped me, erasing my burn.

"There we go," said the pixie. "Be more careful."

"We'll try." The pixie disappeared and Emily went to go help Artur. I would have followed, but I found a book knocked off a shelf. I couldn't resist a good book, so I went to look at it. It was called '**Battle Strategy: A Magic Lesson'**. I figured I needed some pointers, so I took it with me. I then went and joined Emily.

"I can't believe you did all of that in one day," said Artur, Emily having filled him in and untied him. "And you just defeated the Harvest Lord."

"I didn't know if we could do it either," I said on approach. "How are you feeling, Artur?"

"Okay now that you're here. Thank you for freeing me, my friends! I feared no one was going to ever find me!"

"Yeah," said Emily a little guilty. "Sorry it took so long to save you. In fact, I'm the main reason it took so long, and we nearly lost you."

"Are you kidding," I told her. "Sure you may have held it off a day, but you definitely needed that day; I realize that now, you were on fire. I'm not sure how much of a help I was."

"Gen, it was because of you the Storm Mill was able to be fixed. It would have been hard to accomplish both in one day if there was only one of us."

"We definitely needed that Storm Mill fixed," said Artur. "It was giving an advantage over us."

"Yes, but because Genevieve stuck to it, we have our big guns back."

"Aww, gee," I said blushing. "You helped me beat the Kraken, Em."

"And you helped me beat the Harvest Lord."

"We need each other and we're both important."

"Yes, but we still need to keep ourselves in top form so we can better battle future enemies."

"You remind me of my sister," said Artur. "Speaking of I should go tell her I'm safe. I know I have worried her so."

"Don't strain yourself, Artur," said Emily. "We'll go tell her."

"Still, you should probably get out of here," I added.

"I will, may the winds of chance bring us together once again, Emily and Genevieve, Saviors of Wizard City, and my life."

"We'll see you around," said Emily, as we all went to leave.

* * *

Artur was embracing being outside again, while we went on ahead. I could tell it had gotten really late by the time we made it back to Susie.

"You're back!" cried Susie. Obviously, she wasn't going to bed until we saved him. "Did you save Artur?" She was concerned when he wasn't with us. We smiled.

"Yep, last time we saw him he was 'rolling in the riches all around him' and completely aware of what they're worth to him now that he's free."

"We defeated the Harvest Lord and saved your brother from him," said Emily.

"You saved Artur from the Harvest Lord?" It almost sounded like she didn't think we could do it; of course I was doubtful too, so who was I to judge. "Thank you! Emily, Genevieve, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost him."

"I couldn't imagine that either," I said putting an arm around Emily. Emily looked at me irritated, but then gave me a hug.

"Same with me," she said.

"As a token of thanks," said Susie. "I got these for you." She handed us two cloaks; a pink one for Em, and purple one for me, and ruby chain and amethyst belt shining on them respectively. Emily had a look on her face that said she wouldn't be keeping it.

"Susie, you didn't have to do this," I said.

"But I wanted to; you did something for me that I couldn't have done on my own." We took the cloaks.

"Oh you better tell the Headmaster what has happened here! He needs to be informed of what's happening in Wizard City!"

"Do we really need to tell him?" I asked. "Doesn't he know what's going on?"

"Even if he does, I don't think he knows about how much Malistere is getting himself involved. We should go tell him that," deduced Emily

"Alright, and after that we can go to bed; do you know how late it is?"

"If you really want his done and over with, we could just teleport there."

"I always feel weird after that."

"Alright," she said holding out her wand. "I'll meet you there." In a burst of flames she was gone.

"She really does frustrate me," I said. "I'll see you later Susie." I held out my wand.

"I hope to see you again too. My brother will work on removing the rest of the Undead, and move people back into their homes again." With that, the flash of light came, my eyes clouded over and I reappeared in the commons next to Emily. We ran into Gamma's tower.

"What?!" cried Gamma. "What are you two doing up, it's the middle of the night?"

"We need to speak to the Headmaster, and it's better to do it now," said Emily.

"Can you wake him, please," I added.

* * *

"By Bartleby! You two defeated the Harvest Lord? Not many students can make a claim like that. Good work, you two." We beamed with pride. Emily continued telling the Headmaster what happened.

"Headmaster, the Harvest Lord told us that the Undead were planning to take over the city for Malistere."

"Yeah," I added. "He was hoping you'd be crushed."

"The Harvest Lord mentioned he was helping Malistere? We need to find out what Malistere's plans are if Wizard City is ever to return to the nice place it once was. It's hard to run a school with all the monsters running amuck!"

"Who knows what Malistere is trying to gain from this place," said Emily.

"Hey Em, didn't you have a theory a couple days ago on what Malistere was doing," I mentioned, "something about distracting everyone?"

"Umm…yeah; I thought he was distracting everyone while he was searching for something."

"That is a good theory," agreed Ambrose. "Of course what is he searching for?"

"Something to bring his wife back maybe," I suggested.

"That's preposterous; Malistere knows that there is no magic that powerful that still exists. Even if he is, he won't find anything to help him here."

"Maybe it's why he stole the eye of history," suggested Emily, "to help him search the past for something."

"Possibly; in the meantime, we'll have to keep our minds sharp and our eyes open. Many thanks to you two for straightening everything out on Triton Avenue. However, I fear the worst is not yet over…"

* * *

**While playing this street, it was agonizing as my wizards gained levels and I couldn't do anything because it wasn't a school day for them. :( Anyway, seeing as what's going on right now, I believe the next chapter will have them learning a few new things, as well as Lost pages event for Triton Avenue. So you'll just have to stay tuned for what happens with those events. Until then!**


	14. AN:Incantation Request

**Hey Everybody! I'm in university again! While in class, I've learned what an Incantation actually is! I am dumb! Anyway, an Incantation is something that Fire wizards use for their spells. I'm going to replace what I've had so far for Emily's spells and use Incantations instead. Of course, it is a bit tricky to come up with an incantation for every spell. An incantation is something like a poem, so I will have to be creative for each spell. As of now I have every Incantation already listed. I've gone back and replaced the spells with incantations. If you want to know what they are, I suggest going to look for them, starting chapter 5. I hope to write more in the future. Stay tuned!**


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